A model describing the dissipative soliton evolution in a passively mode-locked fiber laser is proposed by using the nonlinear polarization rotation technique and the spectral filtering effect. It is numerically found that the laser alternately evolves on the stable and unstable mode-locking states as a function of the pump strength. Numerical simulations show that the passively mode-locked fiber lasers with large net normal dispersion can operate on multiple pulse behavior and hysteresis phenomena. The experimental observations confirm the theoretical predictions. The theoretical and experimental results achieved are qualitatively distinct from those observed in net-anomalous-dispersion conventional-soliton fiber lasers.

• Received 14 November 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.81.023811