Soliton crystal formation in Kerr cavities with an avoided mode crossing: a theoretical study

We theoretically and numerically investigate the formation of soliton crystals in Kerr microresonators in the presence of an avoided mode crossing (AMX). Our study combines dynamical simulations based on a modified Lugiato-Lefever equation (LLE) with a stability analysis of its stationary solutions. We show that, depending on its strength and spectral position, the AMX can either stabilize otherwise unstable soliton crystals or induce Turing patterns which subsequently seeds soliton crystal formation. Both perfect and imperfect soliton crystals can form below the pump threshold for spatiotemporal chaos, and we identify the conditions required for perfect crystals. Finally, we investigate modulation instability in the presence of an AMX, showing that it modifies the parametric gain and can suppress or promote Turing pattern formation depending on its spectral position.