We study both theoretically and experimentally typical operation
regimes of 40 GHz monolithic mode-locked lasers. The underlying Traveling Wave Equation model reveals quantitative agreement for characteristics of the fundamental mode-locking as pulse width and repetition frequency tuning, as well as qualitative agreement with the experiments for other dynamic regimes. Especially the appearance of stable harmonic mode-locking at 80 GHz
has been predicted theoretically and confirmed by measurements.
Furthermore, we derive and apply a simplified Delay-Differential-Equation model
which guides us to a qualitative analysis of bifurcations responsible for the appearance
and the breakup of different mode-locking regimes. Higher harmonics of mode-locking are predicted by this model as well.
Propagation of short optical pulses in a nonlinear dispersive medium is considered without the use of slow envelope and
unidirectional propagation approximations. The existence of uniformly moving solitary solutions is predicted in the anomalous
dispersion domain. A four-parametric family of such solutions is found that contains the classical envelope soliton in the limit of
large pulse durations. In the opposite limit we get another family member, which in contrast to the envelope soliton strongly depends on nonlinearity model and represents the shortest and the most intense pulse which can propagate in a stationary manner.
The nonlinear Schrödinger equation based on the Taylor approximation of the material dispersion can become invalid for ultrashort and few-cycle optical pulses. Instead, we use a rational fit to the dispersion function such that the resonances are naturally accounted for. This approach allows us to derive a simple non-envelope model for short pulses propagating in one spatial dimension. This model is further investigated numerically and analytically.