MOVING SPATIAL SOLITONS IN ACTIVE NONLINEAR-OPTICAL RESONATORS

We investigate spatial solitons in a resonator with a narrow-band gain element and a saturable absorber placed in Fourier-conjugated resonat or planes. Solitons are stationary or move at discrete velocities depe nding on the resonator tuning. The modulus of the velocity of moving s olitons is fixed, but the direction of their motion is arbitrary. Soli tons compete in velocity space. The experiments are conducted on a pho torefractive oscillator with bacteriorhodopsin saturable absorber. Obs ervations agree well with solutions of a general order parameter equat ion for such resonators. [S1050-2947(98)02701-2].