Abundant soliton structures of (2+1)-dimensional NLS equation

In this paper, we study the possible localized coherent solutions of a (2+1)-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation. Using a Bäcklund transformation and the variable separation approach, we find that there exist much more abundant localized structures for the (2+1)-dimensional NLS equation because of the entrance of an arbitrary function of the seed solution. Some special types of the dromion solutions, breathers, instantons and dromion solutions with oscillated tails are discussed by selecting the arbitrary functions appropriately. The dromion solutions can be driven by some sets of straight-line and curved line ghost solitons. The breathers may breath both in amplitudes and in shapes.