Bright pulses of light are unstable states in free-running semiconductor lasers. Stable bright solitons require an optical bistability---as predicted by mean-field theories such as the Complex Ginzburg Landau Equation (CGLE) or the Lugiato-Lefever Equation (LLE). However, this restriction is relaxed when two lasers are coupled to one another. Here, we identify a new state of light in a pair of semiconductor ring lasers with fast gain dynamics. Two racetrack (RT) quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) when coupled along their straight sections spontaneously produce a frequency comb over the hybridized modes of the coupled cavity. Waveform reconstruction measurements reveal the hybridized comb manifests itself as a pair of bright and dark pulses circulating the coupled cavity simultaneously. In addition, split-step integration of a pair of mutually forced CGLEs faithfully reproduces our experimental measurements, providing some insight on the formation of such states.
Active resonators based on semiconductor gain media encompass a large optical nonlinearity that arises from gain saturation and enables bright soliton generation. The ability to operate these resonators below the lasing threshold as tunable passive devices –– filters, modulators, phase shifters –– opens up an untapped potential of seamlessly integrated reconfigurable devices for both generation of multimode mid-infrared (4 – 12 μm) light and its manipulation.
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