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  • Open Access

Controlled manipulation of solitons in a recirculating fiber loop using external potentials

François Copie*, Pierre Suret, and Stéphane Randoux

  • Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8523–PhLAM–Physique des Lasers Atomes et Molécules, F-59000 Lille, France

  • *Contact author: francois.copie@univ-lille.fr
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Phys. Rev. Research 7, 043232 – Published 1 December, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/qcts-whtp

Abstract

Optical solitons are self-sustained wave packets that propagate without distortion due to a balance between dispersion and nonlinearity. Their unique stability underpins key photonic applications while also playing a central role in nonlinear wave physics. However, real-time control over soliton dynamics in nondissipative systems remains a major challenge, limiting their practical applications in photonic systems. Here, we introduce a fiber-based platform for soliton manipulation, by creating programmable external potentials through synchronous arbitrary phase modulation in a recirculating optical fiber loop. We demonstrate precise soliton trapping, parametric excitation, and coupled multisoliton interactions, revealing particle-like behavior in excellent agreement with a Hamiltonian description in which solitons are treated as interacting particles. The strong analogy with matter-wave solitons in Bose-Einstein condensates highlights the broader implications of our approach, which provides a versatile experimental tool for the study of nonlinear wave dynamics and engineered soliton manipulation.

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Phys. Rev. Research 7, 043232– Published 1 December, 2025
  • Received 27 August 2025
  • Accepted 22 October 2025
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