Optical solitons in (1 + 1) and (2 + 1) dimensions

This paper addresses the nonlinear Schrödinger's equation that serves as the model to study the propagation of optical solitons through nonlinear optical fibers. The main focus of this paper is the aspect of integrability. There are a couple of integration tools that are employed to obtain the exact solutions to the model. Fan's F-expansion approach is applied to extract several forms of solutions to the model. This integration mechanism displays cnoidal waves, snoidal waves and several other solutions; needless to mention that these solutions, in the limiting case, leads to bright, dark and singular soliton solutions. The study then rolls over to the (2 + 1)-dimensions where, in addition, the semi-inverse variational principle is applied to extract a bright soliton solution, along with the necessary constraint conditions. There is also a display of several numerical simulations.     

Accessible solitons of fractional dimension

We demonstrate that accessible solitons described by an extended Schrödinger equation with the Laplacian of fractional dimension can exist in strongly nonlocal nonlinear media. The soliton solutions of the model are constructed by two special functions, the associated Legendre polynomials and the Laguerre polynomials in the fraction-dimensional space. Our results show that these fractional accessible solitons form a soliton family which includes crescent solitons, and asymmetric single-layer and multi-layer necklace solitons.     

Dark-bright discrete solitons: A numerical study of existence, stability and dynamics

In the present work, we numerically explore the existence and stability properties of different types of configurations of dark-bright solitons, dark-bright soliton pairs and pairs of dark-bright and dark solitons in discrete settings, starting from the anti-continuum limit. We find that while single discrete dark-bright solitons have similar stability properties to discrete dark solitons, their pairs may only be stable if the bright components are in phase and are always unstable if the bright components are out of phase. Pairs of dark-bright solitons with dark ones have similar stability properties as individual dark or dark-bright ones. Lastly, we consider collisions between dark-bright solitons and between a dark-bright one and a dark one. Especially in the latter and in the regime where the underlying lattice structure matters, we find a wide range of potential dynamical outcomes depending on the initial soliton speed.     

Interlaced solitons and vortices in coupled DNLS lattices

In the present work, we propose a new set of coherent structures that arise in nonlinear dynamical lattices with more than one component, namely interlaced solitons. In the anti-continuum limit of uncoupled sites, these are waveforms whose one component has support where the other component does not. We illustrate systematically how one can combine dynamically stable unary patterns to create stable ones for the binary case of two-components. For the one-dimensional setting, we provide a detailed theoretical analysis of the existence and stability of these waveforms, while in higher dimensions, where such analytical computations are far more involved, we resort to corresponding numerical computations. Lastly, we perform direct numerical simulations to showcase how these structures break up, when they are exponentially or oscillatorily unstable, to structures with a smaller number of participating sites.     

Optical solitons for the resonant nonlinear Schrödinger's equation with time-dependent coefficients by the first integral method

In this paper, the resonant nonlinear Schrödinger's equation is studied with three forms of nonlinearity. This equation is also considered with time-dependent coefficients. The first integral method is used to carry out the integration. Exact soliton solutions of this equation are found. These solutions are constructed through the established first integrals. The power of this manageable method is confirmed.     

Dark solitons in optical fiber with inhomogeneous effects

We study the nonlinear wave propagation in an inhomogeneous optical fiber core in the normal dispersive regime. In order to include the inhomogeneous physical effects, the nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE), which governs the solitary pulse propagation in optical fiber, is modified by adding terms for phase modulation and power gain or loss. The modified NLSEs are bilinearized and exact dark soliton solutions are obtained. The results are discussed.     

Nonautonomous bright matter-wave solitons and soliton collisions in Fourier-synthesized optical lattices

We present analytical bright multisoliton solutions to the generalized nonautonomous nonlinear Schrödinger equation with time- and space-dependent distributed coefficients in Fourier-synthesized optical lattice potential based on the similarity transformation technique. Such solutions exist in certain constraint conditions on the coefficients depicting dispersion, nonlinearity, and gain (or loss). Various shapes of bright solitons and interesting interactions between two solitons are observed, including soliton trains, collapse and revival of condensates, and two periodic M-shape solitons with collision. Phenomena of a few solitons and physical applications of interest to the field are discussed.     

Resonant control of solitons

It is shown that the effect of “scattering on resonance” can be used to control envelope solitons in the driven nonlinear Schrödinger equation. The control occurs by the frequency modulated driving with multiple crossing of the resonant frequency of the soliton.     

Propagation properties of spatial optical solitons in different nonlocal nonlinear media with arbitrary degrees of nonlocality

We address the physical features exhibited by spatial optical solitons propagating in nonlocal Kerr-type media with Gaussian-shaped response and exponential-decay response, respectively. An iteration algorithm based on the split-step Fourier method is developed to obtain the numerical solutions of the solitons for the nonlocal nonlinear Schrödinger equation with arbitrary degrees of nonlocality. Our numerical results show that the soliton properties in the normalized system are different with the change of the degree of nonlocality and with the different responses. The profiles undergo a gradual and continuous transition from a Gaussian-shaped function in the strongly nonlocal case to a hyperbolic secant function in the local case for the Gaussian-shaped response, but for the exponential-decay response, the soliton profile is not Gaussian-shaped even in the strongly nonlocal cases. For the same response function, the stronger the nonlocality is, the higher the critical powers for solitons are and the larger of the phase shifts of the solitons. For the same degrees of nonlocality, when the degrees of nonlocality is larger enough, both the critical power and the phase shift for the Gaussian-shaped response are larger than that for the exponential-decay response.     

Introduction to solitons

As an introduction to the special issue on nonlinear waves, solitons and their significance in physics are reviewed. The soliton is the first universal concept in nonlinear science. Universality and ubiquity of the soliton concept are emphasized.     

Modulation of breathers in cigar-shaped Bose-Einstein condensates

We present new solutions to the nonautonomous nonlinear Schrödinger equation that may be realized through convenient manipulation of Bose-Einstein condensates. The procedure is based on the modulation of breathers through an analytical study of the one-dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii equation, which is known to offer a good theoretical model to describe quasi-one-dimensional cigar-shaped condensates. Using a specific ansatz, we transform the nonautonomous nonlinear equation into an autonomous one, which engenders composed states corresponding to solutions localized in space, with an oscillating behavior in time. Numerical simulations confirm stability of the modulated breathers against random perturbation on the input profile of the solutions.     

Spatial optical solitons in inhomogeneous elliptic core saturating nonlinear fiber

We have investigated the propagation characteristics of spatial optical solitons in saturating nonlinear waveguide employing JWKB and paraxial ray approximation. We have obtained two second-order coupled nonlinear differential equations for transverse soliton widths of solitons. Threshold power for stable propagation of the beam has been calculated from these coupled equations. We have undertaken stability analysis, which predicts robustness of these solitons. Both guiding as well as antiguiding cases have been considered and shown that stable spatial soliton propagation is possible in both cases.     

Study of femtosecond soliton dynamics in photonic crystal fiber using the moment method

We investigate the dynamics of femtosecond solitons in photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) by including high-order dispersion terms until to sixth-order in the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation, in addition to the nonlinear effects of the self phase modulation, self steepening and Raman scattering. We calculate theoretically the pulse parameters using the moment method. In the case of the fundamental soliton, our computed equations are coupled and difficult to solve analytically. However, we use the finite difference method to calculate numerically pulse parameters using an initially hyperbolic secant pulse at 1550-nm with different peak powers along 10m-PCF. Our numerical results show that the nonlinear regimes allow obtaining pulse compressions and initial pulse amplitudes. Furthermore, we remark a pulse broadening, and weak shifts of the peak power positions and frequencies in the critical and dispersive regimes. The use of an initial chirp provides a better pulse compressions and especially for low input powers. Also, the initial positive chirp reduces the optimal compression position lengths, while the negative one increases them. Therefore, we conclude that our theoretical calculations and numerical simulation results show that the moment method associated with the finite differences method is effective for the study of femtosecond pulse dynamics in PCFs.     

Conservation laws,bilinear forms and solitons for a fifth-order nonlinear Schrödinger equation for the attosecond pulses in an optical fiber

Under investigation in this paper is a fifth-order nonlinear Schrödinger equation, which describes the propagation of attosecond pulses in an optical fiber. Based on the Lax pair, infinitely-many conservation laws are derived. With the aid of auxiliary functions, bilinear forms, one-, two- and three-soliton solutions in analytic forms are generated via the Hirota method and symbolic computation. Soliton velocity varies linearly with the coefficients of the high-order terms. Head-on interaction between the bidirectional two solitons and overtaking interaction between the unidirectional two solitons as well as the bound state are depicted. For the interactions among the three solitons, two head-on and one overtaking interactions, three overtaking interactions, an interaction between a bound state and a single soliton and the bound state are displayed. Graphical analysis shows that the interactions between the two solitons are elastic, and interactions among the three solitons are pairwise elastic. Stability analysis yields the modulation instability condition for the soliton solutions.     

One-dimensional EM solitons in ultrashort intense laser pulse-partially stripped plasmas

The one-dimensional electromagnetic (EM) envelope solitons in ultrashort intense laser pulse-partially stripped plasmas were discussed based on the wave equation of intense laser pulse propagating in partially stripped plasmas. Under the weakly relativistic assumption, a modified nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation describing the evolution of the EM field was derived. The analytical analysis shows that in the ultra-short broad beam limits, the relativistic nonlinearity and striction nonlinearity cancel each other, and a one-dimensional laser pulse envelope soliton can be formed only due to the polarization nonlinearity. The relationship between the characteristics of soliton and the parameters of laser pulse and partially stripped plasmas was discussed by numerical analysis.     

Discrete solitons in nonlinear Schrödinger lattices with a power-law nonlinearity

We study the discrete nonlinear Schrödinger lattice model with the onsite nonlinearity of the general form, |u|^2σu. We systematically verify the conditions for the existence and stability of discrete solitons in the one-dimensional version of the model predicted by means of the variational approximation (VA), and demonstrate the following: monostability of fundamental solitons (FSs) in the case of the weak nonlinearity, 2σ+1<3.68; bistability, in a finite range of values of the soliton’s power, for 3.68<2σ+1<5; and the presence of a threshold (minimum norm of the FS), for 2σ+1≥5. We also perform systematic numerical simulations to study higher-order solitons in the same general model, i.e., bound states of the FSs. While all in-phase bound states are unstable, stability regions are identified for antisymmetric double solitons and their triple counterparts. These numerical findings are supplemented by an analytical treatment of the stability problem, which allows quantitively accurate predictions for the stability features of such multipulses. When these waveforms are found to be unstable, we show, by means of direct simulations, that they self-trap into a persistent lattice breather, or relax into a stable FS, or sometimes decay completely.     

Nonlinear Wave Propagation in a Disordered Medium

In this paper we consider the problem of solitary wave propagation in a weakly disordered potential. Through a series of careful numerical experiments we have observed behavior which is in agreement with the theoretical predictions of Kivshar et al., Bronski, and Gamier. In particular we observe numerically the existence of two regimes of propagation. In the first regime the mass of the solitary wave decays exponentially, while the velocity of the solitary wave approaches a constant. This exponential decay is what one would expect from known results in the theory of localization for the linear Schrödinger equation. In the second regime, where nonlinear effects dominate, we observe the anomalous behavior which was originally predicted by Kivshar et al. In this regime the mass of the solitary wave approaches a constant, while the velocity of the solitary wave displays an anomalously slow decay. For sufficiently small velocities (when the theory is no longer valid) we observe phenomena of total reflection and trapping.     

具有色散系数的(2+1)维非线性Schrödinger方程的有理解和空间孤子

非线性Schrödinger方程是物理学中具有广泛应用的非线性模型之一. 本文采用相似变换, 将具有色散系数的(2+1)维非线性Schrödinger方程简化成熟知的Schrödinger方程, 进而得到原方程的有理解和一些空间孤子.     

Double-Wronskian solitons and rogue waves for the inhomogeneous nonlinear Schrödinger equation in an inhomogeneous plasma

Plasmas are the main constituent of the Universe and the cause of a vast variety of astrophysical, space and terrestrial phenomena. The inhomogeneous nonlinear Schrödinger equation is hereby investigated, which describes the propagation of an electron plasma wave packet with a large wavelength and small amplitude in a medium with a parabolic density and constant interactional damping. By virtue of the double Wronskian identities, the equation is proved to possess the double-Wronskian soliton solutions. Analytic one- and two-soliton solutions are discussed. Amplitude and velocity of the soliton are related to the damping coefficient. Asymptotic analysis is applied for us to investigate the interaction between the two solitons. Overtaking interaction, head-on interaction and bound state of the two solitons are given. From the non-zero potential Lax pair, the first- and second-order rogue-wave solutions are constructed via a generalized Darboux transformation, and influence of the linear and parabolic density profiles on the background density and amplitude of the rogue wave is discussed.     

Bright and dark solitons in a quasi-1D Bose-Einstein condensates modelled by 1D Gross-Pitaevskii equation with time-dependent parameters

We investigate the exact bright and dark solitary wave solutions of an effective 1D Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) by assuming that the interaction energy is much less than the kinetic energy in the transverse direction. In particular, following the earlier works in the literature Pérez-García et al. (2004) [50], Serkin et al. (2007) [51], Gurses (2007) [52] and Kundu (2009) [53], we point out that the effective 1D equation resulting from the Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) equation can be transformed into the standard soliton (bright/dark) possessing, completely integrable 1D nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation by effecting a change of variables of the coordinates and the wave function. We consider both confining and expulsive harmonic trap potentials separately and treat the atomic scattering length, gain/loss term and trap frequency as the experimental control parameters by modulating them as a function of time. In the case when the trap frequency is kept constant, we show the existence of different kinds of soliton solutions, such as the periodic oscillating solitons, collapse and revival of condensate, snake-like solitons, stable solitons, soliton growth and decay and formation of two-soliton bound state, as the atomic scattering length and gain/loss term are varied. However, when the trap frequency is also modulated, we show the phenomena of collapse and revival of two-soliton like bound state formation of the condensate for double modulated periodic potential and bright and dark solitons for step-wise modulated potentials.