Dynamics of coupled erbium-doped fiber lasers: Modulation effects and synchronization patterns

•The effect of the modulation signal on the dynamics of coupled Erbium-Doped Fiber Lasers is studied.•Two distinct clusters are formed in the non-modulated systems, which are lag-synchronized.•When the modulation signal is considered, the coupled systems can reach a chimera state. Studying the dynamics of coupled Erbium-Doped Fiber Lasers helps in optimizing the performance of these systems in different applications. An important factor in these systems is the modulation signal which can affect the dynamics of systems, leading to complex behaviors including diverse periodic and chaotic dynamics. This paper investigates the dynamics of a ring network of Erbium-Doped Fiber Lasers and compares its behaviors in the presence and absence of the modulation. The results reveal that although complete synchronization is not reachable, certain synchronization patterns exist during the periodic oscillations. In the non-modulated network, two distinct clusters are formed which can achieve lag synchronization under specific coupling intensities. While in the coupled modulated systems, the chimera state may form. These findings represent the complex relationship among modulation, coupling intensity, and network dynamics in EDFL systems.