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Boris A. Malomed

Publications and source records attributed to Boris A. Malomed.

At least 523 records · Page 29Linked to original sources

Two-dimensional solitons in saturable media with a quasi-one-dimensional lattice potential

We study families of solitons in a two-dimensional (2D) model of the light transmission through a photorefractive medium equipped with a (quasi-)one-dimensional photonic lattice. The soliton families are bounded from below by finite minimum values of the peak and total power. Narrow solitons have a single maximum, while broader ones feature side lobes. Stability of the solitons is checked by direct simulations. The solitons can be set in motion across the lattice (actually, made tilted in the spatial domain), provided that the respective boost parameter does not exceed a critical value. Collisions between moving solitons are studied too. Collisions destroy the solitons, unless their velocities are sufficiently small. In the latter case, the colliding solitons merge into a single stable pulse.

nlin.PS↗

Semi-discrete composite solitons in arrays of quadratically nonlinear waveguides

We demonstrate that an array of discrete waveguides on a slab substrate, both featuring the $χ^{2}$ nonlinearity, supports stable solitons composed of discrete and continuous components. Two classes of fundamental composite solitons are identified: ones consisting of a discrete fundamental-frequency (FF) component in the waveguide array, coupled to a continuous second-harmonic (SH) component in the slab waveguide, and solitons with an inverted FF/SH structure. Twisted bound states of the fundamental solitons are found too. In contrast with usual systems, the \emph{intersite-centered} fundamental solitons and bound states with the twisted continuous components are stable, in an almost entire domain of their existence.

nlin.PS↗

Two-dimensional solitons in the Gross-Pitaevskii equation with spatially modulated nonlinearity

We introduce a dynamical model of a Bose-Einstein condensate based on the 2D Gross-Pitaevskii equation, in which the nonlinear coefficient is a function of radius. The model describes a situation with spatial modulation of the negative atomic scattering length, via the Feshbach resonance controlled by a properly shaped magnetic of optical field. We focus on the configuration with the nonlinear coefficient different from zero in a circle or annulus, including the case of a narrow ring. Two-dimensional axisymmetric solitons are found in a numerical form, and also by means of a variational approximation; for an infinitely narrow ring, the soliton is found in an exact form (in the latter case, exact solitons are also found in a two-component model). A stability region for the solitons is identified by means of numerical and analytical methods. In particular, if the nonlinearity is supported on the annulus, the upper stability border is determined by azimuthal perturbations; the stability region disappears if the ratio of the inner and outer radii of the annulus exceeds a critical value 0.47. The model gives rise to bistability, as the stationary solitons coexist with stable axisymmetric breathers, whose stability region extends to higher values of the norm than that of the static solitons. The collapse threshold strongly increases with the radius of the inner hole of the annulus. Vortex solitons are found too, but they are unstable.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Multipole-mode solitons in Bessel optical lattices

We study basic properties of quiescent and rotating multipole-mode solitons supported by axially symmetric Bessel lattices in a medium with defocusing cubic nonlinearity. The solitons can be found in different rings of the lattice and are stable when the propagation constant exceeds the critical value, provided that the lattice is deep enough. In a high-power limit the multipole-mode solitons feature a multi-ring structure.

physics.optics↗

Alternate solitons: Nonlinearly-managed one- and two-dimensional solitons in optical lattices

We consider a model of Bose-Einstein condensates which combines a stationary optical lattice (OL) and periodic change of the sign of the scattering length (SL) due to the Feshbach-resonance management. Ordinary solitons and ones of the gap type being possible, respectively, in the model with constant negative and positive SL, an issue of interest is to find solitons alternating, in the case of the low-frequency modulation, between shapes of both types, across the zero-SL point. We find such \textit{alternate solitons} and identify their stability regions in the 2D and 1D models. Three types of the dynamical regimes are distinguished: stable, unstable, and semi-stable. In the latter case, the soliton sheds off a conspicuous part of its initial norm before relaxing to a stable regime. In the 2D case, the threshold (minimum number of atoms) necessary for the existence of the alternate solitons is essentially higher than its counterparts for the ordinary and gap solitons in the static model. In the 1D model, the alternate solitons are also found only above a certain threshold, while the static 1D models have no threshold. In the 1D case, stable antisymmetric alternate solitons are found too. Additionally, we consider a possibility to apply the variational approximation (VA) to the description of stationary gap solitons, in the case of constant positive SL. It predicts the solitons in the first finite bandgap very accurately, and does it reasonably well in the second gap too. In higher bands, the VA predicts a border between tightly and loosely bound solitons.

cond-mat.other↗

Multidimensional semi-gap solitons in a periodic potential

The existence, stability and other dynamical properties of a new type of multi-dimensional (2D or 3D) solitons supported by a transverse low-dimensional (1D or 2D, respectively) periodic potential in the nonlinear Schrödinger equation with the self-defocusing cubic nonlinearity are studied. The equation describes propagation of light in a medium with normal group-velocity dispersion (GVD). Strictly speaking, solitons cannot exist in the model, as its spectrum does not support a true bandgap. Nevertheless, the variational approximation (VA) and numerical computations reveal stable solutions that seem as completely localized ones, an explanation to which is given. The solutions are of the gap-soliton type in the transverse direction(s), in which the periodic potential acts in combination with the diffraction and self-defocusing nonlinearity. Simultaneously, in the longitudinal (temporal) direction these are ordinary solitons, supported by the balance of the normal GVD and defocusing nonlinearity. Stability of the solitons is predicted by the VA, and corroborated by direct simulations.

nlin.PS↗

A model of a dual-core matter-wave soliton laser

We propose a system which can generate a periodic array of solitary-wave pulses from a finite reservoir of coherent Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). The system is built as a set of two parallel quasi-one-dimensional traps (the reservoir proper and a pulse-generating cavity), which are linearly coupled by the tunneling of atoms. The scattering length is tuned to be negative and small in the absolute value in the cavity, and still smaller but positive in the reservoir. Additionally, a parabolic potential profile is created around the center of the cavity. Both edges of the reservoir and one edge of the cavity are impenetrable. Solitons are released through the other cavity's edge, which is semi-transparent. Two different regimes of the intrinsic operation of the laser are identified: circulations of a narrow wave-function pulse in the cavity, and oscillations of a broad standing pulse. The latter regime is stable, readily providing for the generation of an array containing up to 10,000 permanent-shape pulses. The circulation regime provides for no more than 40 cycles, and then it transforms into the oscillation mode. The dependence of the dynamical regime on parameters of the system is investigated in detail.

cond-mat.other↗

Discrete embedded solitons

We address the existence and properties of discrete embedded solitons (ESs), i.e., localized waves existing inside the phonon band in a nonlinear dynamical-lattice model. The model describes a one-dimensional array of optical waveguides with both the quadratic (second-harmonic generation) and cubic nonlinearities. A rich family of ESs was previously known in the continuum limit of the model. First, a simple motivating problem is considered, in which the cubic nonlinearity acts in a single waveguide. An explicit solution is constructed asymptotically in the large-wavenumber limit. The general problem is then shown to be equivalent to the existence of a homoclinic orbit in a four-dimensional reversible map. From properties of such maps, it is shown that (unlike ordinary gap solitons), discrete ESs have the same codimension as their continuum counterparts. A specific numerical method is developed to compute homoclinic solutions of the map, that are symmetric under a specific reversing transformation. Existence is then studied in the full parameter space of the problem. Numerical results agree with the asymptotic results in the appropriate limit and suggest that the discrete ESs may be semi-stable as in the continuous case.

nlin.PS↗

Photon-number fluctuation and correlation of bound soliton pairs in mode-locked fiber lasers

Quantum photon-number fluctuation and correlation of bound soliton pairs in mode-locked fiber lasers are studied based on the complex Ginzburg-Landau equation model. We find that, depending on their phase difference, the total photon-number noise of the bound soliton pair can be larger or smaller than that of a single soliton and the two solitons in the soliton pairs are with positive or negative photon-number correlation, correspondingly. It is predicted for the first time that out-of-phase soliton pairs can exhibit less noises due to negative correlation.

quant-ph↗

Nonlinear Lattice Dynamics of Bose-Einstein Condensates

The Fermi-Pasta-Ulam (FPU) model, which was proposed 50 years ago to examine thermalization in non-metallic solids and develop ``experimental'' techniques for studying nonlinear problems, continues to yield a wealth of results in the theory and applications of nonlinear Hamiltonian systems with many degrees of freedom. Inspired by the studies of this seminal model, solitary-wave dynamics in lattice dynamical systems have proven vitally important in a diverse range of physical problems--including energy relaxation in solids, denaturation of the DNA double strand, self-trapping of light in arrays of optical waveguides, and Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) in optical lattices. BECS, in particular, due to their widely ranging and easily manipulated dynamical apparatuses--with one to three spatial dimensions, positive-to-negative tuning of the nonlinearity, one to multiple components, and numerous experimentally accessible external trapping potentials--provide one of the most fertile grounds for the analysis of solitary waves and their interactions. In this paper, we review recent research on BECs in the presence of deep periodic potentials, which can be reduced to nonlinear chains in appropriate circumstances. These reductions, in turn, exhibit many of the remarkable nonlinear structures (including solitons, intrinsic localized modes, and vortices) that lie at the heart of the nonlinear science research seeded by the FPU paradigm.

nlin.PS↗

Motion of discrete solitons assisted by nonlinearity management

We demonstrate that periodic modulation of the nonlinearity coefficient in the discrete nonlinear Schrödinger (DNLS) equation can strongly facilitate creation of traveling solitons in the lattice. We predict this possibility in an analytical form, and test it in direct simulations. Systematic simulations reveal several generic dynamical regimes, depending on the amplitude and frequency of the time modulation, and on initial thrust which sets the soliton in motion. These regimes include irregular motion, regular motion of a decaying soliton, and regular motion of a stable one. The motion may occur in both the straight and reverse directions, relative to the initial thrust. In the case of stable motion, extremely long simulations in a lattice with periodic boundary conditions demonstrate that the soliton keeps moving as long as we can monitor without any visible loss. Velocities of moving stable solitons are in good agreement with the analytical prediction, which is based on requiring a resonance between the ac drive and motion of the soliton through the periodic potential. All the generic dynamical regimes are mapped in the model's parameter space. Collisions between moving stable solitons are briefly investigated too, with a conclusion that two different outcomes are possible: elastic bounce, or bounce with mass transfer from one soliton to the other. The model can be realized experimentally in a Bose-Einstein condensate trapped in a deep optical lattice.

cond-mat.other↗

Coupled-mode theory for spatial gap solitons in optically-induced lattices

We develop a coupled-mode theory for spatial gap solitons in the one-dimensional photonic lattices induced by interfering optical beams in a nonlinear photorefractive crystal. We derive a novel system of coupled-mode equations for two counter-propagating probe waves, and find its analytical solutions for stationary gap solitons. We also predict the existence of moving (or tilted) gap solitons and study numerically soliton collisions.

nlin.PS↗

Optical-parametric-oscillator solitons driven by the third harmonic

We introduce a model of a lossy second-harmonic-generating (chi^2) cavity externally pumped at the third harmonic, which gives rise to driving terms of a new type, corresponding to a cross-parametric gain. The equation for the fundamental-frequency (FF) wave may also contain a quadratic self-driving term, which is generated by the cubic nonlinearity of the medium. Unlike previously studied phase-matched models of chi^2 cavities driven at the second harmonic (SH) or at FF, the present one admits an exact analytical solution for the soliton, at a special value of the gain parameter. Two families of solitons are found in a numerical form, and their stability area is identified through numerical computation of the perturbation eigenvalues (stability of the zero solution, which is a necessary condition for the soliton's stability, is investigated in an analytical form). One family is a continuation of the special analytical solution. At given values of parameters, one soliton is stable and the other one is not; they swap their stability at a critical value of the mismatch parameter. The stability of the solitons is also verified in direct simulations, which demonstrate that the unstable pulse rearranges itself into the stable one, or into a delocalized state, or decays to zero. A soliton which was given an initial boost C starts to move but quickly comes to a halt, if the boost is smaller than a critical value C_cr. If C>C_cr, the boost destroys the soliton (sometimes, through splitting into two secondary pulses). Interactions between initially separated solitons are investigated too. It is concluded that stable solitons always merge into a single one. In the system with weak loss, it appears in a vibrating form, slowly relaxing to the static shape. With stronger loss, the final soliton emerges in the stationary form.

nlin.PS↗

Resonant nonlinearity management for nonlinear-Schrödinger solitons

We consider effects of a periodic modulation of the nonlinearity coefficient on fundamental and higher-order solitons in the one-dimensional NLS equation, which is an issue of direct interest to Bose-Einstein condensates in the context of the Feshbach-resonance control, and fiber-optic telecommunications as concerns periodic compensation of the nonlinearity. We find from simulations, and explain by means of a straightforward analysis, that the response of a fundamental soliton to the weak perturbation is resonant, if the modulation frequency $ω$ is close to the intrinsic frequency of the soliton. For higher-order $n$-solitons with $n=2$ and 3, the response to an extremely weak perturbation is also resonant, if $ω$ is close to the corresponding intrinsic frequency. More importantly, a slightly stronger drive splits the 2- or 3-soliton, respectively, into a set of two or three moving fundamental solitons. The dependence of the threshold perturbation amplitude, necessary for the splitting, on $ω$ has a resonant character too. Amplitudes and velocities of the emerging fundamental solitons are accurately predicted, using exact and approximate conservation laws of the perturbed NLS equation.

nlin.PS↗

Gap solitons in a model of a hollow optical fiber

We introduce a models for two coupled waves propagating in a hollow-core fiber: a linear dispersionless core mode, and a dispersive nonlinear quasi-surface one. The linear coupling between them may open a bandgap, through the mechanism of the avoidance of crossing between dispersion curves. The third-order dispersion of the quasi-surface mode is necessary for the existence of the gap. Numerical investigation reveals that the entire bandgap is filled with solitons, and they all are stable in direct simulations. The gap-soliton (GS) family is extended to include pulses moving relative to the given reference frame, up to limit values of the corresponding boost $δ$, beyond which the solitons do not exists. The limit values are nonsymmetric for $δ>0$ and $δ<0$. The extended gap is also entirely filled with the GSs, all of which are stable in simulations. Recently observed solitons in hollow-core photonic-crystal fibers may belong to this GS family.

nlin.PS↗

Criteria for the experimental observation of multi-dimensional optical solitons in saturable media

Criteria for experimental observation of multi-dimensional optical solitons in media with saturable refractive nonlinearities are developed. The criteria are applied to actual material parameters (characterizing the cubic self-focusing and quintic self-defocusing nonlinearities, two-photon loss, and optical-damage threshold) for various glasses. This way, we identify operation windows for soliton formation in these glasses. It is found that two-photon absorption sets stringent limits on the windows. We conclude that, while a well-defined window of parameters exists for two-dimensional solitons (spatial or spatiotemporal), for their three-dimensional spatiotemporal counterparts such a window \emph{does not} exist, due to the nonlinear loss in glasses.

physics.optics↗

Static and rotating domain-wall crosses in Bose-Einstein condensates

For a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in a two-dimensional (2D) trap, we introduce cross patterns, which are generated by intersection of two domain walls (DWs) separating immiscible species, with opposite signs of the wave functions in each pair of sectors filled by the same species. The cross pattern remains stable up to the zero value of the immiscibility parameter $|Δ|$, while simpler rectilinear (quasi-1D) DWs exist only for values of $|Δ|$ essentially exceeding those in BEC mixtures (two spin states of the same isotope) currently available to the experiment. Both symmetric and asymmetric cross configurations are investigated, with equal or different numbers $N_{1,2}$ of atoms in the two species. In rotating traps, ``propellers'' (stable revolving crosses) are found too. A full stability region for of the crosses and propellers in the system's parameter space is identified, unstable crosses evolving into arrays of vortex-antivortex pairs. Stable rotating rectilinear DWs are found too, at larger vlues of $|Δ|$. All the patterns produced by the intersection of three or more DWs are unstable, rearranging themselves into ones with two DWs. Optical propellers are also predicted in a twisted nonlinear photonic-crystal fiber carrying two different wavelengths or circular polarizations, which can be used for applications to switching and routing.

cond-mat.other↗