Families of stable solitons and excitations in the PT-symmetric nonlinear Schrödinger equations with position-dependent effective masses

Deformation of optical solitons in a variable-coefficient nonlinear Schrödinger equation with three distinct PT-symmetric potentials and modulated nonlinearities

We investigate deformed/controllable characteristics of solitons in inhomogeneous parity-time (PT)-symmetric optical media. To explore this, we consider a variable-coefficient nonlinear Schrödinger equation involving modulated dispersion, nonlinearity, and tapering effect with PT-symmetric potential, which governs the dynamics of optical pulse/beam propagation in longitudinally inhomogeneous media. By incorporating three physically interesting and recently identified forms of PT-symmetric potentials, namely, rational, Jacobian periodic, and harmonic-Gaussian potentials, we construct explicit soliton solutions through similarity transformation. Importantly, we investigate the manipulation dynamics of such optical solitons due to diverse inhomogeneities in the medium by implementing step-like, periodic, and localized barrier/well-type nonlinearity modulations and revealing the underlying phenomena. Also, we corroborate the analytical results with direct numerical simulations. Our theoretical exploration will provide further impetus in engineering optical solitons and their experimental realization in nonlinear optics and other inhomogeneous physical systems.

Stability and modulation of optical peakons in self-focusing/defocusing Kerr nonlinear media with PT-δ-hyperbolic-function potentials

In this paper, we introduce a class of novel PT- δ-hyperbolic-function potentials composed of the Dirac δ(x) and hyperbolic functions, supporting fully real energy spectra in the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian. The threshold curves of PT symmetry breaking are numerically presented. Moreover, in the self-focusing and defocusing Kerr-nonlinear media, the PT-symmetric potentials can also support the stable peakons, keeping the total power and quasi-power conserved. The unstable PT-symmetric peakons can be transformed into other stable peakons by the excitations of potential parameters. Continuous families of additional stable numerical peakons can be produced in internal modes around the exact peakons (even unstable). Further, we find that the stable peakons can always propagate in a robust form, remaining trapped in the slowly moving potential wells, which opens the way for manipulations of optical peakons. Other significant characteristics related to exact peakons, such as the interaction and power flow, are elucidated in detail. These results will be useful in explaining the related physical phenomena and designing the related physical experiments.

Formation, stability, and adiabatic excitation of peakons and double-hump solitons in parity-time-symmetric Dirac-δ(x)-Scarf-II optical potentials

We introduce a class of physically intriguing PT-symmetric Dirac-δ-Scarf-II optical potentials. We find the parameter region making the corresponding non-Hermitian Hamiltonian admit the fully real spectra, and present the stable parameter domains for these obtained peakons, smooth solitons, and double-hump solitons in the self-focusing nonlinear Kerr media with PT-symmetric δ-Scarf-II potentials. In particular, the stable wave propagations are exhibited for the peakon solutions and double-hump solitons from some given parameters even if the corresponding parameters belong to the linear PT-phase broken region. Moreover, we also find the stable wave propagations of exact and numerical peakons and double-hump solitons in the interplay between the power-law nonlinearity and PT-symmetric potentials. Finally, we examine the interactions of the nonlinear modes with exotic waves, and the stable adiabatic excitations of peakons and double-hump solitons in the PT-symmetric Kerr nonlinear media. These results provide the theoretical basis for the design of related physical experiments and applications in PT-symmetric nonlinear optics, Bose-Einstein condensates, and other relevant physical fields.

PT-symmetry and supersymmetry: interconnection of broken and unbroken phases

The broken and unbroken phases of P T and supersymmetry in optical systems are explored for a complex refractive index profile in the form of a Scarf potential, under the framework of supersymmetric quantum mechanics. The transition from unbroken to the broken phases of P T -symmetry, with the merger of eigenfunctions near the exceptional point is found to arise from two distinct realizations of the potential, originating from the underlying supersymmetry. Interestingly, in P T -symmetric phase, spontaneous breaking of supersymmetry occurs in a parametric domain, possessing non-trivial shape invariances, under reparametrization to yield the corresponding energy spectra. One also observes a parametric bifurcation behaviour in this domain. Unlike the real Scraf potential, in P T -symmetric phase, a connection between complex isospecrtal superpotentials and modified Korteweg-de Vries equation occurs, only with certain restrictive parametric conditions. In the broken P T -symmetry phase, supersymmetry is found to be intact in the entire parameter domain yielding the complex energy spectra, with zero-width resonance occurring at integral values of a potential parameter.

Soliton formation and stability under the interplay between parity-time-symmetric generalized Scarf-II potentials and Kerr nonlinearity

We present an alternative type of parity-time (PT)-symmetric generalized Scarf-II potentials, which makes possible for non-Hermitian Hamiltonians in the classical linear Schrödinger system to possess fully real spectra with unique features such as the multiple PT-symmetric breaking behaviors and to support one-dimensional (1D) stable PT-symmetric solitons of power-law waveform, namely power-law solitons, in focusing Kerr-type nonlinear media. Moreover, PT-symmetric high-order solitons are also derived numerically in 1D and 2D settings. Around the exactly obtained nonlinear propagation constants, families of 1D and 2D localized nonlinear modes are also found numerically. The majority of fundamental nonlinear modes can still keep steady in general, whereas the 1D multipeak solitons and 2D vortex solitons are usually susceptible to suffering from instability. Likewise, similar results occur in the defocusing Kerr-nonlinear media. The obtained results will be useful for understanding the complex dynamics of nonlinear waves that form in PT-symmetric nonlinear media in other physical contexts.

Parity-Time Symmetry in Non-Hermitian Complex Optical Media

The exploration of quantum-inspired symmetries in optical and photonic systems has witnessed immense research interest both fundamentally and technologically in a wide range of subject areas in physics and engineering. One of the principal emerging fields in this context is non-Hermitian physics based on parity-time symmetry, originally proposed in the studies pertaining to quantum mechanics and quantum field theory and recently ramified into a diverse set of areas, particularly in optics and photonics. The intriguing physical effects enabled by non-Hermitian physics and PT symmetry have enhanced significant application prospects and engineering of novel materials. In addition, there has been increasing research interest in many emerging directions beyond optics and photonics. Here, the state-of-the art developments in the field of complex non-Hermitian physics based on PT symmetry in various physical settings are brought together, and key concepts, a background, and a detailed perspective on new emerging directions are described. It can be anticipated that this trendy field of interest will be indispensable in providing new perspectives in maneuvering the flow of light in the diverse physical platforms in optics, photonics, condensed matter, optoelectronics, and beyond, and will offer distinctive application prospects in novel functional materials.

Solitonic Fixed Point Attractors in the Complex Ginzburg–Landau Equation for Associative Memories

It was recently shown that the nonlinear Schrodinger equation with a simplified dissipative perturbation features a zero-velocity solitonic solution of non-zero amplitude which can be used in analogy to attractors of Hopfield’s associative memory. In this work, we consider a more complex dissipative perturbation adding the effect of two-photon absorption and the quintic gain/loss effects that yields the complex Ginzburg–Landau equation (CGLE). We construct a perturbation theory for the CGLE with a small dissipative perturbation, define the behavior of the solitonic solutions with parameters of the system and compare the solution with numerical simulations of the CGLE. We show, in a similar way to the nonlinear Schrodinger equation with a simplified dissipation term, a zero-velocity solitonic solution of non-zero amplitude appears as an attractor for the CGLE. In this case, the amplitude and velocity of the solitonic fixed point attractor does not depend on the quintic gain/loss effects. Furthermore, the effect of two-photon absorption leads to an increase in the strength of the solitonic fixed point attractor.

Stable flat-top solitons and peakons in the PT-symmetric δ-signum potentials and nonlinear media

We discover that the physically interesting PT-symmetric Dirac delta-function potentials can not only make sure that the non-Hermitian Hamiltonians admit fully-real linear spectra but also support stable peakons (nonlinear modes) in the Kerr nonlinear Schrödinger equation. For a specific form of the delta-function PT-symmetric potentials, the nonlinear model investigated in this paper is exactly solvable. However, for a class of PT-symmetric signum-function double-well potentials, a novel type of exact flat-top bright solitons can exist stably within a broad range of potential parameters. Intriguingly, the flat-top solitons can be characterized by the finite-order differentiable waveforms and admit the novel features differing from the usual solitons. The excitation features and the direction of transverse power flow of flat-top bright solitons are also explored in detail. These results are useful for the related experimental designs and applications in nonlinear optics and other related fields.

Attraction centers and parity-time-symmetric delta-functional dipoles in critical and supercritical self-focusing media

We introduce a model based on the one-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equation with critical (quintic) or supercritical self-focusing nonlinearity. We demonstrate that a family of solitons, which are unstable in this setting against the critical or supercritical collapse, is stabilized by pinning to an attractive defect, that may also include a parity-time (PT)-symmetric gain-loss component. The model can be realized as a planar waveguide in nonlinear optics, and in a super-Tonks-Girardeau bosonic gas. For the attractive defect with the delta-functional profile, a full family of the pinned solitons is found in an exact analytical form. In the absence of the gain-loss term, the solitons' stability is investigated in an analytical form too, by means of the Vakhitov-Kolokolov criterion; in the presence of the PT-balanced gain and loss, the stability is explored by means of numerical methods. In particular, the entire family of pinned solitons is stable in the quintic (critical) medium if the gain-loss term is absent. A stability region for the pinned solitons persists in the model with an arbitrarily high power of the self-focusing nonlinearity. A weak gain-loss component gives rise to intricate alternations of stability and instability in the system's parameter plane. Those solitons which are unstable under the action of the supercritical self-attraction are destroyed by the collapse. On the other hand, if the self-attraction-driven instability is weak and the gain-loss term is present, unstable solitons spontaneously transform into localized breathers, while the collapse does not occur. The same outcome may be caused by a combination of the critical nonlinearity with the gain and loss. Instability of the solitons is also possible when the PT-symmetric gain-loss term is added to the subcritical nonlinearity. The system with self-repulsive nonlinearity is briefly considered too, producing completely stable families of pinned localized states.

Impact of near-𝒫𝒯 symmetry on exciting solitons and interactions based on a complex Ginzburg-Landau model

We theoretically report the influence of a class of near-parity-time-(𝒫𝒯-) symmetric potentials on solitons in the complex Ginzburg-Landau (CGL) equation. Although the linear spectral problem with the potentials does not admit entirely-real spectra due to the existence of spectral filtering parameter α₂ or nonlinear gain-loss coefficient β₂, we do find stable exact solitons in the second quadrant of the (α₂, β₂) space including on the corresponding axes. Other fascinating properties associated with the solitons are also examined, such as the interactions and energy flux. Moreover, we study the excitations of nonlinear modes by considering adiabatic changes of parameters in a generalized CGL model. These results are useful for the related experimental designs and applications.

Optical solitons in media with focusing and defocusing saturable nonlinearity and a parity-time-symmetric external potential

We report results for solitons in models of waveguides with focusing or defocusing saturable nonlinearity and a parity-time ([Formula: see text])-symmetric complex-valued external potential of the Scarf-II type. The model applies to the nonlinear wave propagation in graded-index optical waveguides with balanced gain and loss. We find both fundamental and multipole solitons for both focusing and defocusing signs of the saturable nonlinearity in such [Formula: see text]-symmetric waveguides. The dependence of the propagation constant on the soliton's power is presented for different strengths of the nonlinearity saturation, S The stability of fundamental, dipole, tripole and quadrupole solitons is investigated by means of the linear-stability analysis and direct numerical simulations of the corresponding (1+1)-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger-type equation. The results show that the instability of the stationary solutions can be mitigated or completely suppressed, increasing the value of SThis article is part of the theme issue 'Dissipative structures in matter out of equilibrium: from chemistry, photonics and biology (part 1)'.

Spatial solitons and stability in the one-dimensional and the two-dimensional generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation with fourth-order diffraction and parity-time-symmetric potentials

We investigate the existence and stability of solitons in parity-time (PT)-symmetric optical media characterized by a generic complex hyperbolic refractive index distribution and fourth-order diffraction (FOD). For the linear case, we demonstrate numerically that the FOD parameter can alter the PT-breaking points. For nonlinear cases, the exact analytical expressions of the localized modes are obtained both in one- and two-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equations with self-focusing and self-defocusing Kerr nonlinearity. The effect of FOD on the stability structure of these localized modes is discussed with the help of linear stability analysis followed by the direct numerical simulation of the governing equation. Examples of stable and unstable solutions are given. The transverse power flow density associated with these localized modes is also discussed. It is found that the relative strength of the FOD coefficient can utterly change the direction of the power flow, which may be used to control the energy exchange among gain or loss regions.

The nonlinear Schrödinger equation with generalized nonlinearities and PT-symmetric potentials: Stable solitons, interactions, and excitations

We investigate the nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation with generalized nonlinearities and complex non-Hermitian potentials and present the novel parity-time-( PT-) symmetric potentials for the NLS equation with power-law nonlinearities supporting some bright solitons. For distinct types of PT-symmetric potentials including Scarf-II, Hermite-Gaussian, and asymptotically periodic potentials, we, respectively, explore the phase transitions for the linear Hamiltonian operators. Moreover, we analytically find stable bright solitons in the generalized NLS equations with several types of PT-symmetric potentials, and their stability is corroborated by the linear stability spectrum and direct wave-propagation simulations. Interactions of two solitons are also explored. More interestingly, we find that the nonlinearity can excite the unstable linear modes (i.e., possessing broken linear PT-symmetric phase) to stable nonlinear modes. The results may excite potential applications in nonlinear optics, Bose-Einstein condensates, and relevant fields.