Dresden 2026 – scientific programme
Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help
DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik
DY 22: Pattern Formation
DY 22.9: Talk
Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 11:45–12:00, ZEU/0118
Time-crystals in actively mode-locked lasers — Elias Koch1, Ruiling Weng2, Jesús Yelo-Sarrión2, Josep Batle2, Julien Javaloyes2, and •Svetlana V. Gurevich1,3 — 1Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Münster, Wilhelm-Klemm-Str.9 48149 Münster, Germany — 2Departament de Física and IAC3, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Campus UIB 07122 Mallorca, Spain — 3Center for Data Science and Complexity (CDSC), University of Münster, Corrensstrasse 2, Münster, 48149, Germany
We propose a time-delayed model for the study of active mode-locking that is devoid of restriction regarding the values of the round-trip gain and losses. There, we report the occurence of discrete time-crystal phases and crystallites. By tuning either the bias current or the modulation frequency, the system undergoes a spontaneous symmetry-breaking transition from the harmonically mode-locked state towards robust, highly coherent time-crystal states that persist indefinitely. Two equivalent time-crystal configurations, shifted by one driving period, can coexist as domains separated by sharp, long-lived boundaries analogous to domain walls. Additionally, we present recent experimental results that are in good quantitative agreement with the theoretical predictions. Our findings demonstrate that mode-locked semiconductor lasers offer a readily accessible platform to explore and control non-equilibrium phases of light, enabling practical implementations of time-crystal physics in photonic systems.
Keywords: time delay; bifurcation; nonlinear; laser dynamics; time-crystal