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Boris A. Malomed

Publications and source records attributed to Boris A. Malomed.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
arXiv2023

Symmetry breaking bifurcations and excitations of solitons in linearly coupled NLS equations with PT-symmetric potentials

We address symmetry breaking bifurcations (SBBs) in the ground-state (GS) and dipole-mode (DM) solitons of the 1D linearly coupled NLS equations, modeling the propagation of light in a dual-core planar waveguide with the Kerr nonlinearity and two types of PT-symmetric potentials. The PT-symmetric potential is employed to obtained different types of solutions. A supercritical pitchfork bifurcation occurs in families of symmetric solutions of both the GS and DM types. A novel feature of the system is interplay between breakings of the PT and inter-core symmetries. Stability of symmetric GS and DM modes and their asymmetric counterparts, produced by SBBs of both types, is explored via the linear-stability analysis and simulations. It is found that the instability of PT-symmetric solutions takes place prior to the inter-core symmetry breaking. Surprisingly, stable inter-core-symmetric GS solutions may remain stable while the PT symmetry is broken. Fully asymmetric GS and DM solitons are only partially stable. Moreover, we construct symmetric and asymmetric GS solitons under the action of a pure imaginary localized potential, for which the SBB is subcritical. These results exhibit that stable solitons can still be found in dissipative systems. Finally, excitations of symmetric and asymmetric GS solitons are investigated by making the potential's parameters or the system's coupling constant functions, showing that GS solitons can be converted from an asymmetric shape onto a symmetric one under certain conditions. These results may pave the way for the study of linear and nonlinear phenomena in a dual-core planar waveguide with PT potential and related experimental designs.

nlin.PS↗
arXiv2023

Robust light bullets in Rydberg gases with moiré lattice

Rydberg electromagnetically-induced transparency has been widely studied as a medium supporting light propagation under the action of nonlocal nonlinearities. Recently, optical potentials based on moiré lattices (MLs) were introduced for exploring unconventional physical states. Here, we predict a possibility of creating fully three-dimensional (3D) light bullets (LBs) in cold Rydberg gases under the action of ML potentials. The nonlinearity includes local self-defocusing and long-range focusing terms, the latter one induced by the Rydberg-Rydberg interaction. We produce zero-vorticity LB families of the fundamental, dipole, and quadrupole types, as well as vortex LBs. They all are gap solitons populating finite bandgaps of the underlying ML spectrum. Stable subfamilies are identified utilizing the combination of the anti-Vakhitov-Kolokolov criterion, computation of eigenvalues for small perturbations, and direct simulations.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗
arXiv2023

Ring-shaped quantum droplets with hidden vorticity in a radially-periodic potential

We study the stability and characteristics of two-dimensional (2D) circular quantum droplets (QDs) with embedded hidden vorticity (HV), i.e., opposite angular momenta in two components, formed by binary Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) trapped in a radially-periodic potential. The system is modeled by the Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) equations with the Lee-Huang-Yang (LHY) terms, which represent the higher-order self-repulsion induced by quantum fluctuations around the meanfield state, and a potential which is a periodic function of the radial coordinate. Ring-shaped QDs with high winding numbers (WNs) of the HV type, which are trapped in particular circular troughs of the radial potential, are produced by means of the imaginary-time-integration method. Effects of the depth and period of the potential on these QD states are studied. The trapping capacity of individual circular troughs is identified. Stable compound states in the form of nested multiring patterns are constructed too, including ones with WNs of opposite signs. The stably coexisting ringshaped QDs with different WNs can be used for the design of BEC-based data-storage schemes.

nlin.PS↗
arXiv2023

Time-localized dark modes generated by zero-wavenumber-gain modulational instability

In this work we report on the emergence of a novel type of solitary waves, viz., time-localized solitons in integrable and non-integrable variants of the massive Thirring models and in the three-wave resonant-interaction system, which are models broadly used in plasmas, nonlinear optics and hydrodynamics. An essential finding is that the condition for the existence of time-localized dark solitons, which develop density dips in the course of time evolution, in these models coincides with the condition for the occurrence of the zero-wavenumber-gain (ZWG) modulational instability (MI). Systematic simulations reveal that, whenever the ZWG MI is present, patterns reminiscent of such solitons are generically excited from a chaotic background field as fragments within more complex patterns.

nlin.PS↗
arXiv2023

Stable higher-charge vortex solitons in the cubic-quintic medium with a ring potential

We put forward a model for trapping stable optical vortex solitons (VSs) with high topological charges $m$. The cubic-quintic nonlinear medium with an imprinted ring-shaped modulation of the refractive index is shown to support two branches of VSs, which are controlled by the radius, width and depth of the modulation profile. While the lower-branch VSs are unstable in their nearly whole existence domain, the upper branch is completely stable. Vortex solitons with $m\leq 12$ obey the anti-Vakhitov-Kolokolov stability criterion. The results suggest possibilities for the creation of stable narrow optical VSs with a low power, carrying higher vorticities.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2023

A solvable model for symmetry-breaking phase transitions

Analytically solvable models are benchmarks in studies of phase transitions and pattern-forming bifurcations. Such models are known for phase transitions of the second kind in uniform media, but not for localized states (solitons), as integrable equations which produce solitons do not admit intrinsic transitions in them. We introduce a solvable model for symmetry-breaking phase transitions of both the first and second kinds (alias sub- and supercritical bifurcations) for solitons pinned to a combined linear-nonlinear double-well potential, represented by a symmetric pair of delta-functions. Both self-focusing and defocusing signs of the nonlinearity are considered. In the former case, exact solutions are produced for symmetric and asymmetric solitons. The solutions explicitly demonstrate a switch between the symmetry-breaking transitions of the first and second kinds (i.e., sub- and supercritical bifurcations, respectively). In the self-defocusing model, the solution demonstrates the transition of the second kind which breaks antisymmetry of the first excited state.

nlin.PS↗
arXiv2023

Obstruction to ergodicity in nonlinear Schrödinger equations with resonant potentials

We identify a class of trapping potentials in cubic nonlinear Schrödinger equations (NLSEs) that make them non-integrable, but prevent the emergence of power spectra associated with ergodicity. The potentials are characterized by equidistant energy spectra (e.g., the harmonic-oscillator trap), which give rise to a large number of resonances enhancing the nonlinearity. In a broad range of dynamical solutions, spanning the regimes in which the nonlinearity may be either weak or strong in comparison with the linear part of the NLSE, the power spectra are shaped as narrow (quasi-discrete) evenly spaced spikes, unlike generic truly continuous (ergodic) spectra. We develop an analytical explanation for the emergence of these spectral features in the case of weak nonlinearity. In the strongly nonlinear regime, the presence of such structures is tracked numerically by performing simulations with random initial conditions. Some potentials that prevent ergodicity in this manner are of direct relevance to Bose-Einstein condensates: they naturally appear in 1D, 2D and 3D Gross-Pitaevskii equations (GPEs), the quintic version of these equations, and a two-component GPE system.

nlin.PS↗
arXiv2023

Topological solitonic macromolecules

Being ubiquitous, solitons have particle-like properties, exhibiting behaviour often associated with atoms. Bound solitons emulate dynamics of molecules, though solitonic analogues of polymeric materials have not been considered yet. Here we experimentally create and model soliton polymers, which we call polyskyrmionomers, built of atom-like individual solitons characterized by the topological invariant representing the skyrmion number. With the help of nonlinear optical imaging and numerical modelling based on minimizing the free energy, we reveal how topological point defects bind the solitonic quasi-atoms into polyskyrmionomers, featuring linear, branched, and other macromolecule-resembling architectures, as well as allowing for encoding data by spatial distributions of the skyrmion number. Application of oscillating electric fields activates diverse modes of locomotion and internal vibrations of these self-assembled soliton structures, which depend on symmetry of the solitonic macromolecules. Our findings suggest new designs of soliton meta matter, with a potential for the use in fundamental research and technology.

nlin.PS↗
arXiv2023

Two-dimensional anisotropic vortex quantum droplets in dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates

Creation of stable intrinsically anisotropic self-bound states with embedded vorticity is a challenging issue. Previously, no such states in Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) or other physical settings were known. Dipolar BEC suggests a unique possibility to predict stable anisotropic vortex quantum droplets (AVQDs). We demonstrate that they can be created with the vortex' axis oriented \emph{perpendicular} to the polarization of dipoles. The stability area and characteristics of the AVQDs in the parameter space are revealed by means of analytical and numerical methods. Further, the rotation of the polarizing magnetic field is considered, and the largest angular velocities, up to which spinning AVQDs can follow the rotation in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions, are found. Collisions between moving AVQDs are studied too, demonstrating formation of bound states with a vortex-antivortex-vortex structure. A stability domain for such stationary bound states is identified. Unstable dipolar states, that can be readily implemented by means of phase imprinting, quickly transform into robust AVQDs, which suggests a straightforward possibility for the creation of these states in the experiment.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗
arXiv2023

Bound states in Bose-Einstein condensates with radially-periodic spin-orbit coupling

We consider Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) subject to the action of spin-orbit-coupling (SOC) periodically modulated in the radial direction. In contrast to the commonly known principle that periodic potentials do not create bound states, the binary BEC maintains multiple localized modes in the linear limit, with their chemical potential falling into spectral gaps of the (numerically found) radial band structure induced by the spatial modulation of the SOC. In the presence of the repulsive nonlinearity, the SOC modulation supports fundamental gap solitons of the semi-vortex types, as well as higher-order vortex gap solitons. The localization degree and stability of the gap solitons strongly depend on the location of their chemical potential in the gap. Stability intervals for vortex gap solitons in a broad range of the intrinsic vorticity, from -2 to 3, are identified. Thus, the analysis reveals the previously unexplored mechanism of linear and nonlinear localization provided by the spatially periodic modulation of SOC, which may be extended to other settings, such as those for optical beams and polaritons. Unlike the commonly known quartets of eigenvalues for small perturbations, in the present system the instability is accounted for by shifted complex eigenvalue pairs.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗
arXiv2023

One-dimensional Townes solitons in dual-core systems with localized coupling

The recent creation of Townes solitons (TSs) in binary Bose-Einstein condensates and experimental demonstration of spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) in solitons propagating in dual-core optical fibers draw renewed interest to the TS and SSB phenomenology in these and other settings. In particular, stabilization of TSs, which are always unstable in free space, is a relevant problem with various ramifications. We introduce a system which admits exact solutions for both TSs and SSB of solitons. It is based on a dual-core waveguide with quintic self-focusing and fused (localized) coupling between the cores. The respective system of coupled nonlinear Schroedinger equations gives rise to exact solutions for full families of symmetric solitons and asymmetric ones, which are produced by the supercritical SSB bifurcation (i.e., the symmetry-breaking phase transition of the second kind). Stability boundaries of asymmetric solitons are identified by dint of numerical methods. Unstable solitons spontaneously transform into robust moderately asymmetric breathers or strongly asymmetric states with small intrinsic oscillations. The setup can be used in the design of photonic devices operating in coupling and switching regimes.

nlin.PS↗
arXiv2023

Generation of robust temporal soliton trains by the multiple-temporal-compression (MTC) method

We report results of systematic numerical analysis for multiple soliton generation by means of the recently reported multiple temporal compression (MTC) method, and compare its efficiency with conventional methods based on the use of photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) and fused silica waveguides (FSWs). The results show that the MTC method is more efficient to control the soliton fission, giving rise to a larger number of fundamental solitons with high powers, that remain nearly constant over long propagation distances. The high efficiency of the MTC method is demonstrated, in particular, in terms of multiple soliton collisions and the Newton's-cradle phenomenology.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2023

Critical properties of the optical field localization in a three-dimensional percolating system: Theory and experiment

We systematically study the optical field localization in an active three-dimensional (3D) disordered percolating system with light nanoemitters incorporated in percolating clusters. An essential feature of such a hybrid medium is that the clusters are combined into a fractal radiation pattern, in which light is simultaneously emitted and scattered by the disordered structures. Theoretical considerations, based on systematic 3D simulations, reveal nontrivial dynamics in the form of propagation of localized field bunches in the percolating material. We obtain the length of the field localization and dynamical properties of such states as functions of the occupation probability of the disordered clusters. A transition between the dynamical states and narrow point-like fields pinned to the emitters is found. The theoretical analysis of the fractal field properties is followed by an experimental study of the light generation by nanoemitters incorporated in the percolating clusters. The experimental results corroborate theoretical predictions.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2023

Formation of rogue waves and modulational instability with zero-wavenumber gain in multi-component systems with coherent coupling

It is known that rogue waves (RWs) are generated by the modulational instability (MI) of the baseband type. Starting with the Bers-Kaup-Reiman system for three-wave resonant interactions, we identify a specific RW-building mechanism based on MI which includes zero wavenumber in the gain band. An essential finding is that this mechanism works solely under a linear relation between the MI gain and a vanishingly small wavenumber of the modulational perturbation. The same mechanism leads to the creation of RWs by MI in other multi-component systems-in particular, in the massive Thirring model.

nlin.PS↗
arXiv2023

Second-harmonic generation in the system with fractional diffraction

We construct a family of bright optical solitons composed of fundamental frequency (FF) and second-harmonic (SH) components in the one-dimensional (planar) waveguide with the quadratic (second-harmonic-generating) nonlinearity and effective fractional diffraction, characterized by the Levy index α, taking values between 2 and 0.5, which correspond to the non-fractional diffraction and critical collapse, respectively. The existence domain and stability boundary for the solitons are delineated in the space of α, FF-SH mismatch parameter, and propagation constant. The stability boundary is tantamount to that predicted by the Vakhitov-Kolokolov criterion, while unstable solitons spontaneously evolve into localized breathers. A sufficiently weak transverse kick applied to the stable solitons excite small internal vibrations in the stable solitons, without setting them in motion. A stronger kick makes the solitons' trajectories tilted, simultaneously destabilizing the solitons.

nlin.PS↗
arXiv2023

Generation of multiple ultrashort solitons in a third-order nonlinear composite medium with self-focusing and self-defocusing nonlinearities

Theoretical consideration of the propagation of femtosecond-Gaussian pulses in a 1D composite medium, consisting of alternating self-focusing (SF) and self-defocusing (SDF) waveguide segments with normal group-velocity dispersion predicts the generation of trains of bright solitons when an optical pulse first propagates in the SF segment, followed by the SDF one. The multiple temporal compression (MTC) process, based on this setting, offers a method for controllable generation of multiple ultrashort temporal solitons. Numerical solutions of the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation modeling this system demonstrate that the intrapulse Raman scattering plays a major role in the temporal and spectral dynamics. Collisions between ultrashort solitons with different central wavelengths are addressed too. The paper provides, for the first time, a procedure for producing controllable trains of ultrashort temporal solitons by incident optical pulses propagating in a composite medium.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2023

Symmetry-breaking transitions in quiescent and moving solitons in fractional couplers

We consider phase transitions, in the form of spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) bifurcations of solitons, in dual-core couplers with fractional diffraction and cubic self-focusing acting in each core, characterized by Levy index $α$. The system represents linearly-coupled optical waveguides with the fractional paraxial diffraction or group-velocity dispersion (the latter system was used in a recent experiment, which demonstrated the first observation of the wave propagation in an effectively fractional setup). By dint of numerical computations and variational approximation (VA), we identify the SSB in the fractional coupler as the bifurcation of the subcritical type (i.e., the symmetry-breaking phase transition of the first kind), whose subcriticality becomes stronger with the increase of fractionality $2 - α$, in comparison with very weak subcriticality in the case of the non-fractional diffraction, $α= 2$. In the Cauchy limit of $α= 1$, it carries over into the extreme subcritical bifurcation, manifesting backward-going branches of asymmetric solitons which never turn forward. The analysis of the SSB bifurcation is extended for moving (tilted) solitons, which is a nontrivial problem because the fractional diffraction does not admit Galilean invariance. Collisions between moving solitons are studied too, featuring a two-soliton symmetry-breaking effect and merger of the solitons.

nlin.PS↗
arXiv2023

Dichromatic breather molecules in a mode-locked fiber laser

Bound states of solitons (molecules) occur in various settings, playing an important role in the operation of fiber lasers, optical emulations, encoding, and communications. Soliton interactions are generally related to breathing dynamics in nonlinear dissipative systems, maintaining potential applications in spectroscopy. In the present work, dichromatic breather molecules (DBMs) are created in a synchronized mode-locked fiber laser. Real-time delay-shifting interference spectra are measured to display the temporal evolution of the DBMs, that cannot be observed by means of the usual real-time spectroscopy. As a result, robust out-of-phase vibrations are found as a typical intrinsic mode of DBMs. The same bound states are produced numerically in the framework of a model combining equations for the population inversion in the mode-locked laser and XPM-coupled complex Ginzburg-Landau equations for amplitudes of the optical fields in the fiber segments of the laser cavity. The results demonstrate that the Q-switching instability induces the onset of breathing oscillations. The findings offer new possibilities for the design of various regimes of the operation of ultrafast lasers.

physics.optics↗