Soliton crystals in optical Kerr microresonators in the presence of thermo-optic effects

Abstract: The influence of thermo-optic effects on shape profiles of soliton crystals in optical Kerr microresonators is investigated. The study rests on a model that consists of the Lugiato-Lefever equation, coupled to the one-dimensional heat diffusion equation with a source term proportional to the average power of the optical field. Using appropriate variable changes the model equations are transformed into a set of coupled first-order nonlinear ordinary differential equations. These equations are solved numerically with emphasis on the influence of thermo-optic effects on the amplitude and instantaneous frequency of the optical field, as well as on the temperature profile in the microresonator cavity. It is found that thermo-optic effects do not prevent soliton crytals from forming in optical Kerr microresonators, however, a strong thermal detuning will decrease the soliton-crystal amplitude. The model predicts a temperature profile in the microresonator cavity which is insensitive to the specific spatio-temporal profile of the soliton crystal propagating in the microresonator, a feature peculiar to the model.