Symmetry Broken Vectorial Kerr Frequency Combs from Fabry-Pérot Resonators

Abstract Optical frequency combs find many applications in metrology, frequency standards, communications and photonic devices. We consider field polarization properties and describe a vector comb generation through the spontaneous symmetry breaking of temporal cavity solitons within coherently driven, passive, Fabry-Pérot cavities with Kerr nonlinearity. Global coupling effects due to the interactions of counter-propagating light restrict the maximum number of soliton pairs within the cavity - even down to a single soliton pair - and force long range polarization conformity in trains of vector solitons.