Dissipative solitons in fiber lasers

Dissipative solitons (also known as auto-solitons) are stable, nonlinear, time-or space-localized solitary waves that occur due to the balance between energy excitation and dissipation.We review the theory of dissipative solitons applied to fiber laser systems.The discussion context includes the classical Ginzburg±Landau and Maxwell±Bloch equations and their modifications allowing the description of laser-cavity-produced waves.Practical examples of laser systems generating dissipative solitons are discussed.