Optical bistability and temporal symmetry-breaking instability in nonlinear fiber resonators

In this work we analyze two different behaviors in a nonlinear passive fiber ring cavity with a synchronously pulsed pump iterating the infinite-dimensional Ikeda map. First, we show optical bistability with normal and anomalous dispersions. The obtained numerical results are compared with the cw pump case. Secondly, these cavities are subject to a temporal symmetry-breaking instability with anomalous dispersion. This instability is described and the range of parameters for its appearance is shown and discussed.