Spatial Vector Solitons in Nonlinear Photonic Crystal Fibers

We study spatial vector solitons in a photonic crystal fiber (PCF) made of a material with the focusing Kerr nonlinearity. We show that such two-component localized nonlinear waves consist of two mutually trapped components confined by the PCF linear and the self-induced nonlinear refractive indices, and they bifurcate from the corresponding scalar solitons. We demonstrate that, in a sharp contrast with an entirely homogeneous nonlinear Kerr medium where both scalar and vector spatial solitons are unstable and may collapse, the periodic structure of PCF can stabilize the otherwise unstable two-dimensional spatial optical solitons. We apply the matrix criterion for stability of these two-parameter solitons, and verify it by direct numerical simulations.     

A Constraint Programming Approach to Extract the Maximum Number of Non-Overlapping Test Forms

This paper introduces a novel approach for extracting the maximum number of non-overlapping test forms from a large collection of overlapping test sections assembled from a given item bank. The approach involves solving maximum set packing problems (MSPs). A branch-and-bound MSP algorithm is developed along with techniques adapted from constraint programming to estimate lower and upper bounds on the optimal MSP solution. The algorithm is general and can be applied in other applications including combinatorial auctions. The results of computer simulations and experiments with an operational item bank are presented. An erratum to this article is available at .     

Fractal character of effective Hall properties of a three-dimensional disordered composite

The dependencies of the effective Hall properties on a scale, obtained by means of an iterative averaging method, manifest their fractal character. The influence of an intensity of the Hall effect on the fractal character of the Hall properties was considered. Scale ranges and dimensional characteristics of the effective Hall properties behavior were calculated and discussed.     

Limit theorems for partially hyperbolic systems

We consider a large class of partially hyperbolic systems containing, among others, affine maps, frame flows on negatively curved manifolds, and mostly contracting diffeomorphisms. If the rate of mixing is sufficiently high, the system satisfies many classical limit theorems of probability theory.

     

Quantization of lie Bialgebras via the Formality of the operad of Little Disks

We give a proof of the Etingof–Kazhdan theorem on quantization of Lie bialgebras based on the formality of the chain operad of little disks and show that the Grothendieck–Teichmüller group acts non-trivially on the corresponding quantization functors. Partially supported by an NSF Grant and A. Sloan Research Fellowship Received: November 2004 Revision: April 2006 Accepted: May 2006     

Estimates from Below for the Spectral Function and for the Remainder in Local Weyl’s Law

We obtain asymptotic lower bounds for the spectral function of the Laplacian and for the remainder in local Weyl’s law on manifolds. In the negatively curved case, thermodynamic formalism is applied to improve the estimates. Key ingredients of the proof include the wave equation parametrix, a pretrace formula and the Dirichlet box principle. Our results develop and extend the unpublished thesis of A. Karnaukh [Ka]. The first author was supported by NSERC, FQRNT, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship and Dawson Fellowship. The second author was supported by NSERC and FQRNT. Received: April 2006 Revision: October 2006 Accepted: October 2006     

On the topological representation of catalytic cycles with nonlinear steps

Reaction route analysis is applied to visualize reaction networks in several heterogeneous catalytic reactions. Combination of the theory of complex reactions with the notion of catalytic cycles results in a topological representation of complex mechanisms with the nodes comprising all possible surface species including free sites and branches indicating interconnections between reactions.     

An observation of electron phase transition in SmB6 at low temperatures

In order to reveal the nature of the ground state of archetypal intermediate-valence compound SmB₆, a comprehensive study of its transport and magnetic properties was carried out on high-quality single crystals at temperatures of 1.8-300 K in magnetic fields up to 7 T. A drastic enhancement of negative magnetoresistance was observed below 14 K, with the maximum absolute value of Δρ/ρB²∼2.2×10⁻³ T⁻² at T≈5.2 K. This effect seems to be attributable to anomalous magnetic scattering of many-body (exciton-polaronic) complexes induced by fast valence fluctuations on Sm sites. The observed anomalies of magnetotransport, thermoelectric and magnetic characteristics are discussed in terms of electron phase transition to the coherent state of interacting many-body complexes occurring at T^*∼5 K.