Anderson localization in nonlocal nonlinear media

We theoretically and numerically investigate the effect of focusing and defocusing nonlinearities on Anderson localization in highly nonlocal media. A perturbative approach is developed to solve the nonlocal nonlinear Schr?dinger equation in the presence of a random potential, showing that nonlocality stabilizes Anderson states.     

Periodic solitons in nonlocal nonlinear media

We identify periodic solitons in nonlocal nonlinear media: multi-hump soliton solutions propagating in a fully periodic fashion. We also demonstrate recurrences and breathers whose evolution is statistically periodic and discuss why some systems support periodic solitons while others do not.     

Two-dimensional stationary nonlinear surface solitons in nonlocal nonlinear media

We address two-dimensional surface solitons occurring at the interface between a semi-infinite linear medium and a semi-infinite nonlocal nonlinear medium. We find that there exist stable single and dipole surface solitons. The properties of the surface solitons can be affected by the degree of nonlocality. Interestingly, only when the degree of nonlocality is greater than a critical value, the surface solitons can exist.     

Lattice-supported surface solitons in nonlocal nonlinear media

We reveal that lattice interfaces imprinted in nonlocal nonlinear media support surface solitons that do not exist in other similar settings, including interfaces of local and nonlocal uniform materials. We show the impact of nonlocality on the domains of existence and stability of the surface solitons, focusing on new types of dipole solitons residing partially inside the optical lattice. We find that such solitons feature strongly asymmetric shapes and that they are stable in large parts of their existence domain.     

Kummer solitons in strongly nonlocal nonlinear media

We solve the three-dimensional (3D) time-dependent strongly nonlocal nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NNSE) in spherical coordinates, with the help of Kummer's functions. We obtain analytical solitary solutions, which we term the Kummer solitons. We compare analytical solutions with the numerical solutions of NNSE. We discuss higher-order Kummer spatial solitons, which can exist in various forms, such as the 3D vortex solitons and the multipole solitons.     

Spiraling multivortex solitons in nonlocal nonlinear media

We demonstrate the existence of a broad class of higher-order rotating spatial solitons in nonlocal nonlinear media. We employ the generalized Hermite-Laguerre-Gaussian ansatz for constructing multivortex soliton solutions and study numerically their dynamics and stability. We discuss in detail the tripole soliton carrying two spiraling phase dislocations, or self-trapped optical vortices.     

Multipole vector solitons in nonlocal nonlinear media

We show that multipole solitons can be made stable via vectorial coupling in bulk nonlocal nonlinear media. Such vector solitons are composed of mutually incoherent nodeless and multipole components jointly inducing a nonlinear refractive index profile. We found that stabilization of the otherwise highly unstable multipoles occurs below certain maximum energy flow. Such a threshold is determined by the nonlocality degree.     

Random-phase surface-wave solitons in nonlocal nonlinear media

We demonstrate, theoretically and experimentally, incoherent surface solitons in a noninstantaneous nonlocal nonlinear media. These incoherent surface waves are located at the interface between a nonlinear medium with long-range nonlocality and a linear dielectric medium (air).     

Gray spatial solitons in nonlocal nonlinear media

We study gray solitons in nonlocal nonlinear media and show that they are stable and can form bound states. We reveal that the gray soliton velocity depends on the nonlocality degree and that it can be drastically reduced in highly nonlocal media. This is in contrast with the case of local media, where the maximal velocity is dictated solely by the asymptotic soliton amplitude.     

Ince-Gaussian solitons in strongly nonlocal nonlinear media

We have introduced a novel class of higher-order spatial optical Ince-Gaussian solitons (IGSs) that constitute the third complete family of exact and orthogonal soliton solutions of the Snyder-Mitchell model. The transverse structure of the IGSs is characterized by the Ince polynomials and has an inherent elliptical symmetry. The IGSs form the exact and continuous transition modes between Hermite-Gaussian solitons and Laguerre-Gaussian solitons.     

Incoherent soliton turbulence in nonlocal nonlinear media

The long-term behavior of a modulationally unstable nonintegrable system is known to be characterized by the soliton turbulence self-organization process: It is thermodynamically advantageous for the system to generate a large-scale coherent soliton in order to reach the ("most disordered") equilibrium state. We show that this universal process of self-organization breaks down in the presence of a highly nonlocal nonlinear response. A wave turbulence approach based on a Vlasov-like kinetic equation reveals the existence of an incoherent soliton turbulence process: It is advantageous for the system to self-organize into a large-scale, spatially localized, incoherent soliton structure.     

Propagation of Cartesian beams in nonlocal nonlinear media

We introduce a very general self-trapped beam solution of the Snyder-Mitchell linear model in Cartesian coordinates. We name such a field a self-trapped Cartesian beam (CB) which is characterized by two parameters. The complex amplitude of the self-trapped CBs is described by the product of the parabolic cylinder functions and the Gaussian function. The self-trapped standard, elegant, and generalized Hermite-Gaussian beams can be obtained by treating them as the special cases of the self-trapped CBs.     

Dipole solitons in nonlocal nonlinear media with anisotropy

We investigate the existence and stability of dipole-mode solitons in two-dimensional models of nonlocal media with anisotropic Kerr nonlinearity analytically and numerically. We obtain the approximate solution of such elliptic dipole solitons by using the variational approximation. The dynamics of such dipole-mode solitons is governed by the eccentricity of both the input beam and the nonlocal response function. We also compute the stability of the solitons by direct numerical simulations. The effects of the anisotropy of the nonlocal response function on the propagation of the dipole beam are also discussed in detail.     

Two-dimensional spatial solitons in highly nonlocal nonlinear media

We investigate, analytically and numerically, a class of novel higher-order spatial solitons in two transverse-dimensions, in highly nonlocal nonlinear media. The stability of these solutions in propagation is confirmed by direct numerical simulation. Our results demonstrate that the higher-order spatial solitons in highly nonlocal nonlinear media can exist in various forms, such as the fundamental solitons, vortex-ring solitons, multipole solitons, and fractional solitons.     

Laguerre and Hermite soliton clusters in nonlocal nonlinear media

We introduce novel classes of higher-order spatial optical solitons in analogy with Laguerre-Gaussian and Hermite-Gaussian linear eigenmodes. We reveal that stable higher-order optical solitons can exist in nonlocal nonlinear media in the various forms of soliton necklaces and soliton matrices. Modulational instability can lead to nontrivial transformations between energetically close solitons with different symmetries through the intermediate states resembling generalized Hermite-Laguerre-Gaussian modes.     

Propagation of optical beams in strongly nonlocal nonlinear media

The propagation of arbitrary laser beams in strongly nonlocal nonlinear media is investigated based on the ABCD matrix. The second-order moment beam width and the mean curvature radius are derived under the off-waist incident condition.     

Lagrangian approach for dark soliton in nonlocal nonlinear media

We theoretically investigate the dynamics of dark solitons as well as their interaction in nonlocal media. Approximate equations describing the evolution of the beams are obtained via suitable trial functions of amplitude u and refractive index n in an averaged Lagrangian. Our results reveal that out-of-phase dark solitons can evolve into stable bound states in nonlocal materials. Moreover, it is found that the separations in the bound state monotonically increase with the degree of nonlocality in nonlocal limit. These results are in excellent agreement with the numerical simulations.     

Vortex solitons with inhomogeneous polarization in nonlocal self-focusing nonlinear media

Both azimuthally and radially polarized vortex solitons are investigated to be able to exist in highly nonlocal nonlinear media. We get exactly analytical solutions of azimuthally polarized vortex solitons with only polarization singularities and radially polarized vortex solitons with both phase singularities and polarization singularities. Both azimuthally and radially polarized vortex solitons can exist in nonlocal self-focusing nonlinear media with proper modulation of the beam power and the degree of nonlocality. Contrary to those of radially polarized counterparts in local Kerr media, the topological charge can be any integer. When the topological charge m ≠ 0, both phase singularities and polarization singularities work. When m = 0, the polarization singularities work. Azimuthally polarized vortex solitons with polarization singularities corresponds to the linearly polarized vortex solitons with single charge. Our results show that polarization singularities work the same way as phase singularities in some sense.     

Propagation of self-trapped circular beams in strongly nonlocal nonlinear media

A very general family of self-trapped circular beams (CiBs) in circular cylindrical coordinates is presented in strongly nonlocal nonlinear media. The complex amplitude of the CiBs is depicted by the product of the Whittaker functions and the Gaussian function, and is characterized by two parameters. Special cases of the CiBs and the even and odd mode CiBs are the standard, elegant, and generalized Laguerre-Gaussian beams and the even and odd mode standard, elegant, and generalized Laguerre-Gaussian beams.     

Propagation dynamics of finite-energy Airy beams in nonlocal nonlinear media

We investigate periodic inversion and phase transition of normal and displaced finite-energy Airy beams propagating in nonlocal nonlinear media with the split-step Fourier method. Numerical simulation results show that parameters such as the degree of nonlocality and amplitude have profound effects on the intensity distribution of the period of an Airy beam. Nonlocal nonlinear media will reduce into a harmonic potential if the nonlocality is strong enough, which results in the beam fluctuating in an approximately cosine mode. The beam profile changes from an Airy profile to a Gaussian one at a critical point, and during propagation the process repeats to form an unusual oscillation. We also briefly discus the two-dimensional case, being equivalent to a product of two one-dimensional cases.