Incoherent modulation instability in instantaneous nonlinear Kerr media

We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally in an optical fiber system that partially temporally incoherent light exhibits modulational instability during its propagation in an instantaneous response nonlinear medium. We show that the modulation frequency and gain are substantially increased with respect to the corresponding values of coherent modulational instability.     

Nonlinear magnetoinductive waves and domain walls in composite metamaterials

We describe novel physics of nonlinear magnetoinductive waves in left-handed composite metamaterials. We derive the coupled equations for describing the propagation of magnetoinductive waves, and show that in the nonlinear regime the magnetic response of a metamaterial may become bistable. We analyze modulational instability of different nonlinear states, and also demonstrate that nonlinear metamaterials may support the propagation of domain walls (kinks) connecting the regions with the positive and negative magnetization.     

Observation of modulational instability induced by velocity-matched cross-phase modulation in a normally dispersive bimodal fiber

We demonstrate experimentally the existence of cross-phase-modulation-induced modulational instability in the absence of group-velocity mismatch between the interacting nonlinear dispersive waves. The experiment is performed by means of a normally dispersive isotropic bimodal fiber. The group-velocity mismatch between the fundamental and the first-order modes that constitute the two interacting waves is controlled by wavelength tuning. A strong power dependence of the modulational instability spectra is observed near the condition of group-velocity matching.     

Observation of transverse instabilities in optically induced lattices

We study experimentally the Bloch-wave instabilities in optically induced photonic lattices. We reveal two different instability scenarios associated with either the transverse modulational instability of a single Bloch wave or the nonlinear interband coupling between different Bloch waves. We show that the transverse instability is greatly enhanced in the induced lattice in comparison with homogeneous media.     

Soliton transverse instabilities in anisotropic nonlocal self-focusing media

We study, both numerically and experimentally, the transverse modulational instability of spatial stripe solitons in anisotropic nonlocal photorefractive media. We demonstrate that the instability scenarios depend strongly on the stripe orientation, but the anisotropy-induced features are largely suppressed for spatial solitons created by self-trapping of partially incoherent light.     

Modulational instability in systems with integrating nonlinearity

A new type of modulational instability for coherent as well as partially coherent light in systems with integrating nonlinearity caused by an irreversible process is investigated both experimentally and theoretically. In such systems plane waves never reach the stationary limit and exhibit a nontrivial time dependence resulting in new features of the modulational instability. For example, the modulational frequency of the nonexponentially increasing perturbation with maximum gain decreases while the wave is propagating. The threshold for vanishing modulational instability due to a finite degree of spatial coherence depends only on system parameters and not on the light intensity.     

Beam breakup and modulational instability in a bulk type I quadratic medium

The effect of a small modulation superimposed on a strip (1D) solitary wave propagating in a bulk quadratic medium was investigated both analytically and numerically near Type I phase matching. General, exact results were obtained. By using first order perturbation theory, we obtained the gain coefficient for the modulational instability and the modulation cut-off frequency and we investigated their dependence on various beam and material parameters. The wave evolves into a clean periodic sequence of solitary waves and does not reproduce the incident beam. We showed that the beam breakup observed experimentally is due entirely to noise induced modulational instability.     

Self-induced modulational instability laser revisited: normal dispersion and dark-pulse train generation

We study theoretically and experimentally the so-called self-induced modulational instability laser and show that the passive mode-locking mechanism that is at play in this laser relies on a dissipative four-wave mixing process that leads to generation of a dark-pulse train in the normal-dispersion regime.     

Transverse instability of vector solitons and generation of dipole arrays

We develop a theory of modulational instability of multiparameter solitary waves and analyze the transverse instability of composite (or vector) optical solitons in a saturable nonlinear medium. We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally that a soliton stripe breaks up into an array of ( 2+1)-dimensional dipole-mode vector solitons, thus confirming the robust nature of those solitons as fundamental composite structures of incoherently coupled fields.     

Modulational instability and parametric amplification induced by loss dispersion in optical fibers

We show that modulational instability may arise even in the normal group-velocity dispersion regime of an optical fiber when the fiber loss (gain) varies depending on the wavelength. A simple analytical expression for the instability gain is obtained, which reveals that the odd-order terms of the loss dispersion are responsible for this phenomenon. The instability gain is measured experimentally in an optical-parametric-amplification configuration. Large parametric gain is induced in a non-phase-matched regime as we apply narrow band loss at the idler wavelength.     

Widely tunable optical parametric generation in a photonic crystal fiber

We report on the observation of widely tunable optical parametric generation in a photonic crystal fiber. The frequency shift of the generated sidebands that arise from modulational instability is strongly dependent on the detuning of the pump from the fiber's zero-dispersion wavelength. We are able to demonstrate experimentally more than 450 nm of sideband tunability as we tune the pump wavelength over 10 nm. Excellent agreement has been found between the experimentally measured and theoretically predicted shifts.     

Subwavelength modulational instability and plasmon oscillons in nanoparticle arrays

We study modulational instability in nonlinear arrays of subwavelength metallic nanoparticles and analyze numerically nonlinear scenarios of the instability development. We demonstrate that modulational instability can lead to the formation of regular periodic or quasiperiodic modulations of the polarization. We reveal that such nonlinear nanoparticle arrays can support long-lived standing and moving oscillating nonlinear localized modes--plasmon oscillons.     

Experiments on induced modulational instability of an incoherent optical beam

We report the observation of modulational instability (MI) of a partially spatially incoherent beam induced by seeding noise through cross-phase modulation. We show experimentally that a threshold exists for such induced incoherent MI to occur that depends on the degree of spatial coherence as well as on the strength of the nonlinearity. Above threshold, the induced MI leads to the formation of ordered and disordered patterns of incoherent light.     

One-dimensional modulational instability of broad optical beams in biased centrosymmetric photorefractive crystals

We study the one-dimensional modulational instability of broad optical beams in biased centrosymmetric photorefractive crystals under steady-state conditions. The one-dimensional modulational instability growth rates are obtained by globally and locally treating the space-charge field, which depend on the external bias field and the ratio of the intensity of optical beam to that of the dark irradiance. Our analysis indicates that the modulational instability growth rate in local effects can be determined from that in nonlocal effects.     

Modulational instability of nematic phase

We numerically observe the effect of homogeneous magnetic field on the modulationally stable case of polar phase in F = 2 spinor Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs). Also we investigate the modulational instability of uniaxial and biaxial (BN) states of polar phase. Our observations show that the magnetic field triggers the modulational instability and demonstrate that irrespective of the magnetic field effect the uniaxial and biaxial nematic phases show modulational instability.     

Modulational instability of incoherently coupled beams in azobenzene-containing polymer with photoisomerization nonlinearity

The modulational instability of two incoherently coupled beams in azobenzene-containing polymer with photoisomerization nonlinearity is investigated analytically and numerically. Our results show that as a precursor to spatial optical soliton formation, modulational instability can be adjusted and controlled by the wavelength combinations of the signal and background beams. We also discuss the dependences of strength of modulational instability on intensities of two signal beams and background beam. These findings make it possible to predict the formation of incoherently coupled soliton pairs in azobenzene-containing polymer.     

非线性单模光纤中的调制不稳定性

本文对非线性单模光纤中的调制不稳定性进行了详细研究,给出了调制不稳定性产生的条件与最大调制增长率等公式,得到了调制不稳定性既可在异常色散区又可在正常色散区产生的结论,确定了维持调制增长对光纤长度选取要求的范围。 关键词：     

Collapse of optical vortices

We theoretically and experimentally investigate the self-focusing of optical vortices in Kerr media. We observe collapse to a distinct self-similar profile, which becomes unstable to azimuthal perturbations. We analyze the azimuthal modulational instability for ring-shaped vortices and predict the number of azimuthal maxima solely as a function of power and topological charge. In our experiments, the observed multiple-filamentation patterns are in excellent agreement with our theoretical analysis.     

On Modulational Instability of Turbulent Spectra

The character of the modulational instability of a Langmuir wave packet is usually assumed to be similar to that of the instability of a monochromatic pump Langmuir wave if the width of the packet is small when compared to the rate of the instability. This assumption has been confirmed only for the case corresponding to the “hydrodynamical” development of the modulational instability, i.e., for the case when the phase velocity of the modulational perturbations exceeds the ion thermal velocity. Here we consider the opposite case (when the phase velocity of the modulational perturbations is less than the ion thermal velocity) which corresponds to the “static” development of the instability. We demonstrate that the above assumption is valid for the situation considered.     

变分法研究二维光晶格中玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚的调制不稳定性

利用含时变分法研究了二维光晶格中准二维玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚中的调制不稳定性. 在平均场近似下, 由准二维Gross-Pitaevskii方程出发, 利用变分法给出了调制波振幅和相位所满足的时间演化方程, 通过求解时间演化方程和能量分析法给出了发生调制不稳定性的条件, 决定于平面波振幅, 晶格强度, 调制波的波矢量和原子之间的两体相互作用.