Semidiscrete composite solitons in arrays of quadratically nonlinear waveguides

We demonstrate that an array of discrete waveguides on a slab substrate, both featuring chi2 nonlinearity, supports stable solitons composed of discrete and continuous components. Two classes of fundamental composite soliton 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 the usual systems, the intersite-centered fundamental solitons and bound states with the twisted continuous components are stable over almost the entire domain of their existence.     

Higher-order surface solitons in one-dimensional Bessel optical lattices

We demonstrate the existence of higher-order solitons occurring at an interface separating two one-dimensional (1D) Bessel optical lattices with different orders or modulation depths in a defocusing medium. We show that, in contrast to homogeneous waveguides where higher-order solitons are always unstable, the Bessel lattices with an interface support branches of higher-order structures bifurcating from the corresponding linear modes. The profiles of solitons depend remarkably on the lattice parameters and the stability can be enhanced by increasing the lattice depth and selecting higher-order lattices. We also reveal that the interface model with defocusing saturable Kerr nonlinearity can support stable multi-peaked solitons. The uncovered phenomena may open a new way for soliton control and manipulation.     

Asymmetrical surface soliton trains

We elucidate the existence, stability and propagation dynamics of multi-spot soliton packets in focusing saturable media. Such solitons are supported by an interface beside which two harmonically photonic lattices with different modulation depths are imprinted. We show that the surface model can support stable higher-order structures in the form of asymmetrical surface soliton trains, which is in sharp contrast to homogeneous media or uniform harmonic lattice modulations where stable asymmetrical multi-peaked solitons do not exist. Surface trains can be viewed as higher-order soliton states bound together by several different lowest order solitons with appropriate relative phases. Their existence as stable objects enriches the concept of compact manipulation of several different solitons as a single entity and offers additional freedom to control the shape of solitons by adjusting the modulation depths beside the interface.     

Spatial solitons in linearly and nonlinearly amplitude-modulated optical lattices

We demonstrated that linearly and nonlinearly amplitude-modulated (chirped) harmonic lattices can support odd and even solitons in both focusing and defocusing saturable media. The modulated lattice modifies the profiles and enlarges the stability domains of solitons, comparing with the unchirped one. Twisted solitons, or “soliton trains” whose profiles exhibit multi-peak structures can also be supported by linearly and nonlinearly chirped lattices. In sharp contrast with periodic lattices, chirped lattices remarkably broaden the existence and stability domains of twisted solitons, especially for solitons with more components. While even solitons in focusing media and twisted solitons in defocusing media are unstable, odd and twisted solitons in focusing media are stable in relatively wide parameter windows. Chirped lattice can be used as a linear guidance to realize the oscillation of solitons which is impossible in unchirped lattice.     

Observation of higher-order solitons in defocusing waveguide arrays

We observe experimentally higher-order solitons in waveguide arrays with defocusing saturable nonlinearity. Such solitons can comprise several in-phase bright spots and are stable above a critical power threshold. We elucidate the impact of the nonlinearity saturation on the domains of existence and stability of the observed complex soliton states.     

Higher-order solitons in amplitude-disordered waveguide arrays

We investigate the existence and stability of different families of spatial solitons in optical waveguide arrays whose amplitudes obey a disordered distribution. The competition between focusing nonlinearity and linearly disordered refractive index modulation results in the formation of spatial localized nonlinear states. Solitons originating from Anderson modes with few nodes are robust during propagation. While multi-peaked solitons with in-phase neighboring components are completely unstable, multipole-mode solitons whose neighboring components are out-of-phase can propagate stably in wide parameter regions provided that their power exceeds a critical value. Our findings, thus, provide the first example of stable higher-order nonlinear states in disordered systems.     

Fundamental and vortex solitons in a two-dimensional optical lattice

Fundamental and vortex solitons in a two-dimensional optically induced waveguide array are reported. In the strong localization regime the fundamental soliton is largely confined to one lattice site, whereas the vortex state comprises four fundamental modes superimposed in a square configuration with a phase structure that is topologically equivalent to the conventional vortex. However, in the weak localization regime, both the fundamental and the vortex solitons spread over many lattice sites. We further show that fundamental and the vortex solitons are stable against small perturbations in the strong localization regime.     

光诱导准一维光子晶格中离散空间光孤子的相互作用

基于分步束传播法数值分析了离散空间光孤子在准一维光诱 导光子晶格中的相干与非相干相互作用过程. 结果表明: 对于相干孤子, 同相时相互吸引, 反相时相互排斥. 然而, 由于非线性响应的各向异性, 横向排布的非相干孤子会因间隔波导数目的增加而由相互吸引变为相互排斥. 并且, 沿对角方向排布的两个非相干孤子在孤子相 互作用力和布拉格反射的共同影响下, 会呈现出"钟摆式"振荡传输现象. 研究结果有助于进一步理解非线性各向异性对离散孤子相互作用的影响机制, 并为后续实验研究提供理论参考.     

Disordered lattice solitons

We study the properties of a nonlinear Schr?dinger equation in the presence of a disordered potential modeling a waveguide array. We find that, for both signs of the nonlinearity, there is a large number of soliton families each one possessing different quantitative properties. However, all these families can be categorized to only a few classes with the same qualitative properties. Highly confined solitons exist in each waveguide of the lattice. In addition, solitons families originate from each Anderson mode. Resonant interactions between a soliton and an Anderson mode can take place, leading to broadening of the soliton profile.     

Discrete solitons in inhomogeneous waveguide arrays

The existence and dynamical properties of discrete solitons in inhomogeneous waveguide arrays with a Kerr nonlinearity are studied in two different configurations. First we investigate the effect of a longitudinal periodic modulation of the coupling strength on the dynamics of discrete solitons. It is shown that resonances of internal modes of the soliton with the longitudinal structure may lead to soliton oscillations and decay. Second we study the existence and stability of discrete solitons in arrays exhibiting a linear variation of the waveguide effective index in the transverse direction. We find that resonant coupling between conventional discrete solitons and linear Wannier-Stark states leads to the formation of so-called hybrid discrete solitons.     

Families of Bragg-grating solitons in a cubic–quintic medium

We investigate the existence and stability of solitons in an optical waveguide equipped with a Bragg grating (BG) in which nonlinearity contains both cubic and quintic terms. The model has straightforward realizations in both temporal and spatial domains, the latter being most realistic. Two different families of zero-velocity solitons, which are separated by a border at which solitons do not exist, are found in an exact analytical form. One family may be regarded as a generalization of the usual BG solitons supported by the cubic nonlinearity, while the other family, dominated by the quintic nonlinearity, includes novel “two-tier” solitons with a sharp (but nonsingular) peak. These soliton families also differ in the parities of their real and imaginary parts. A stability region is identified within each family by means of direct numerical simulations. The addition of the quintic term to the model makes the solitons very robust: simulating evolution of a strongly deformed pulse, we find that a larger part of its energy is retained in the process of its evolution into a soliton shape, only a small share of the energy being lost into radiation, which is opposite to what occurs in the usual BG model with cubic nonlinearity.     

Gap and dark solitons in discrete photorefractive media with?intensity-resonant nonlinearity

Light propagation in one-dimensional nonlinear waveguide arrays with self-defocusing intensity-resonant nonlinearity is investigated theoretically. We study thoroughly conditions for existence and stability of both gap and discrete dark solitons. According to the linear stability analysis both fundamental types (on-site and intersite) of gap solitons may be stable. Discrete dark solitons are unstable except in the low-power regime and, depending on system parameters, evolve into either gray solitons, breathers, or background radiation. Mobility of these solitons is analyzed by the free energy concept: gap solitons are immobile but dark solitons can be easily set in motion.     

Spatial solitons in photonic lattices with large-scale defects

We address the existence,stability and propagation dynamics of solitons supported by large-scale defects surrounded by the harmonic photonic lattices imprinted in the defocusing saturable nonlinear medium.Several families of soliton solutions,including flat-topped,dipole-like,and multipole-like solitons,can be supported by the defected lattices with different heights of defects.The width of existence domain of solitons is determined solely by the saturable parameter.The existence domains of various types of solitons can be shifted by the variations of defect size,lattice depth and soliton order.Solitons in the model are stable in a wide parameter window,provided that the propagation constant exceeds a critical value,which is in sharp contrast to the case where the soliton trains is supported by periodic lattices imprinted in defocusing saturable nonlinear medium.We also find stable solitons in the semi-infinite gap which rarely occur in the defocusing media.     

Dynamic soliton-like modes

Incoherent optical spatial solitons require noninstantaneous nonlinearity, i.e., the local intensity fluctuation of the solitons must be faster than the medium can respond. Observing partially incoherent bicomponent solitons, we find that there exists a threshold speed. When the fluctuation of the soliton intensity, resulting from the time-varying interference of its constituent modes, is below the threshold, the soliton beam and its induced waveguide oscillate violently. Just above the threshold, the soliton-induced waveguide is observed to be dragged by the soliton beam.     

Stable bright and vortex solitons in photonic crystal fibers with inhomogeneous defocusing nonlinearity

We predict that a photonic crystal fiber whose strands are filled with a defocusing nonlinear medium can support stable bright solitons and also vortex solitons if the strength of the defocusing nonlinearity grows toward the periphery of the fiber. The domains of soliton existence depend on the transverse growth rate of the filling nonlinearity and nonlinearity of the core. Remarkably, solitons exist even when the core material is linear.     

Surface lattice solitons

We study theoretically nonlinear surface waves in optical lattices and show that solitons can exist at the heterointerface between two different semi-infinite 1D waveguide arrays, as well as at the boundaries of a 2D nonlinear lattice. The existence and properties of these surface soliton solutions are investigated in detail.     

Talbot solitons

We propose a new type of scalar wave-mixing optical solitons, Talbot solitons. The soliton consists of sinusoidal and uniform components that are mutually coherent and jointly trapped in one direction. The intensity structure of the soliton oscillates in the propagation direction as a result of the linear Talbot effect and periodic nonlinear energy exchange between the components. Talbot solitons induce a 1D waveguide and a 2D photonic lattice within the waveguide that may be used for quasi-phase matching of frequency conversion and as a tunable waveguide filter.     

Vector valley Hall edge solitons in the photonic lattice with type-II Dirac cones

Topological edge solitons represent a significant research topic in the nonlinear topological photonics. They maintain their profiles during propagation, due to the joint action of lattice potential and nonlinearity, and at the same time are immune to defects or disorders, thanks to the topological protection. In the past few years topological edge solitons were reported in systems composed of helical waveguide arrays, in which the time-reversal symmetry is effectively broken. Very recently, topological valley Hall edge solitons have been demonstrated in straight waveguide arrays with the time-reversal symmetry preserved. However, these were scalar solitary structures. Here, for the first time, we report vector valley Hall edge solitons in straight waveguide arrays arranged according to the photonic lattice with innate type-II Dirac cones, which is different from the traditional photonic lattices with type-I Dirac cones such as honeycomb lattice. This comes about because the valley Hall edge state can possess both negative and positive dispersions, which allows the mixing of two different edge states into a vector soliton. Our results not only provide a novel avenue for manipulating topological edge states in the nonlinear regime, but also enlighten relevant research based on the lattices with type-II Dirac cones.     

Solitons in a linearly coupled system with separated dispersion and nonlinearity

We introduce a model of dual-core waveguide with the cubic nonlinearity and group-velocity dispersion (GVD) confined to different cores, with the linear coupling between them. The model can be realized in terms of photonic-crystal fibers. It opens a way to understand how solitons are sustained by the interplay between the nonlinearity and GVD which are not "mixed" in a single nonlinear Schrodinger (NLS) equation, but are instead separated and mix indirectly, through the linear coupling between the two cores. The spectrum of the system contains two gaps, semi-infinite and finite ones. In the case of anomalous GVD in the dispersive core, the solitons fill the semi-infinite gap, leaving the finite one empty. This soliton family is entirely stable, and is qualitatively similar to the ordinary NLS solitons, although shapes of the soliton's components in the nonlinear and dispersive cores are very different, the latter one being much weaker and broader. In the case of the normal GVD, the situation is completely different: the semi-infinite gap is empty, but the finite one is filled with a family of stable gap solitons featuring a two-tier shape, with a sharp peak on top of a broad "pedestal." This case has no counterpart in the usual NLS model. An extended system, including weak GVD in the nonlinear core, is analyzed too. In either case, when the solitons reside in the semi-infinite or finite gap, they persist if the extra GVD is anomalous, and completely disappear if it is normal.     

The solitons in Bessel lattice potential with nonlocal nonlinearity

The existence and stability of fundamental and multipole solitons in Bessel potential are studied, including linear case, and nonlocal nonlinearity cases. For linear case, the eigenvalues and eigenfunction for different modulated depths of Bessel potential are obtained numerically. For nonlocal nonlinear cases, the existence and stability of fundamental and multipole solitons are studied. The results show that there exists a critical propagation constant b _c of solitons, below which the solitons vanish. The value of b _c is associated with the eigenvalue for linear case. It is found that nonlocality can expand the stability region of solitons. Fundamental and dipole solitons are stable in the whole region and the stable range of multipole solitons increase with increasing of the nonlocal degree.