Spatio-temporal-spectral imaging of non-repeatable dissipative soliton dynamics

Dissipative solitons (DSs) are multi-dimensionally localized waves arising from complex dynamical balances in far-from-equilibrium nonlinear systems, widely existing in physics, chemistry, and biology. Real-time observations of DS dynamics across many dimensions are crucial for understanding nonlinear complexities. However, these observations are challenging due to the stochastic, non-repeatable nature of DS transitions. This paper reports multi-dimensional (space xy + discrete time t + wavelength λ) DS dynamics imaged by spatio-temporal-spectral compressed ultrafast photography (STS-CUP), enabling imaging at up to trillions of frames per second. Various transient and random phenomena of multimode DSs are revealed, highlighting the importance of real-time multi-dimensional observation without event repetition in decomposing DS complexities.

Joseph C. Jing, Xiaoming Wei, Lihong V. Wang