Three-dimensional walking spatiotemporal solitons in quadratic media

Planar light bullets under conditions of second-harmonic generation

We study solutions to second-harmonic-generation equations in two-dimensional media with anomalous dispersion. The analytical solution is obtained in an approximate form of the planar spatiotemporal two-component soliton by means of the averaged Lagrangian method. It is shown that a decrease in the amplitudes of both soliton components and an increase in the value of the transverse coordinate are accompanied by an increase in their temporal duration. Within this variational approach, we have managed to find a stability criterion for the light bullet and a period of oscillations of soliton parameters. Then, we use the obtained form as an initial configuration to carry out the direct numerical simulation of soliton dynamics. We demonstrate stable propagation of spatiotemporal solitons undergoing small oscillations predicted analytically for a long distance. The formation of a two-component light bullet is shown when we launch a pulse only at the fundamental frequency. In addition, we investigate the phase and group-velocity mismatch effects on the propagation of pulses.

Elastic collision and molecule formation of spatiotemporal light bullets in a cubic-quintic nonlinear medium

We consider the statics and dynamics of a stable, mobile three-dimensional (3D) spatiotemporal light bullet in a cubic-quintic nonlinear medium with a focusing cubic nonlinearity above a critical value and any defocusing quintic nonlinearity. The 3D light bullet can propagate with a constant velocity in any direction. Stability of the light bullet under a small perturbation is established numerically. We consider frontal collision between two light bullets with different relative velocities. At large velocities the collision is elastic with the bullets emerge after collision with practically no distortion. At small velocities two bullets coalesce to form a bullet molecule. At a small range of intermediate velocities the localized bullets could form a single entity which expands indefinitely, leading to a destruction of the bullets after collision. The present study is based on an analytic Lagrange variational approximation and a full numerical solution of the 3D nonlinear Schrödinger equation.

Vortical light bullets in second-harmonic-generating media supported by a trapping potential

We introduce a three-dimensional (3D) model of optical media with the quadratic (χ((2))) nonlinearity and an effective 2D isotropic harmonic-oscillator (HO) potential. While it is well known that 3D χ((2)) solitons with embedded vorticity ("vortical light bullets") are unstable in the free space, we demonstrate that they have a broad stability region in the present model, being supported by the HO potential against the splitting instability. The shape of the vortical solitons may be accurately predicted by the variational approximation (VA). They exist above a threshold value of the total energy (norm) and below another critical value, which determines a stability boundary. The existence threshold vanishes is a part of the parameter space, depending on the mismatch parameter, which is explained by means of the comparison with the 2D counterpart of the system. Above the stability boundary, the vortex features shape oscillations, periodically breaking its axisymmetric form and restoring it. Collisions between vortices moving in the longitudinal direction are studied too. The collision is strongly inelastic at relatively small values of the velocities, breaking the two colliding vortices into three, with the same vorticity. The results suggest a possibility of the creation of stable 3D optical solitons with the intrinsic vorticity.

Spontaneously generated walking X-shaped light bullets

In quadratic nonlinear media with normal dispersion and nonvanishing group velocity mismatch between fundamental wave and second-harmonic pulses, the wave packets of two harmonics can be locked together in propagation in the form of walking X-shaped light bullets. The output wave packets are developed into X-shaped light bullets with significant group delay time due to mutual dragging and significant shifting in spatiotemporal spectrum due to delayed nonlinear phase shift. We also show that spontaneously generated phase-front tilting can balance the dragging force induced by group velocity mismatch and lead to zero-velocity walking X-shaped light bullets.

Mismatch management for optical and matter-wave quadratic solitons

We propose a way to control solitons in chi(2) (quadratically nonlinear) systems by means of periodic modulation imposed on the phase-mismatch parameter ("mismatch management," MM). It may be realized in the cotransmission of fundamental-frequency (FF) and second-harmonic (SH) waves in a planar optical waveguide via a long-period modulation of the usual quasi-phase-matching pattern of ferroelectric domains. In an altogether different physical setting, the MM may also be implemented by dint of the Feshbach resonance in a harmonically modulated magnetic field in a hybrid atomic-molecular Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), with the atomic and molecular mean fields (MFs) playing the roles of the FF and SH, respectively. Accordingly, the problem is analyzed in two different ways. First, in the optical model, we identify stability regions for spatial solitons in the MM system, in terms of the MM amplitude and period, using the MF equations for spatially inhomogeneous configurations. In particular, an instability enclave is found inside the stability area. The robustness of the solitons is also tested against variation of the shape of the input pulse, and a threshold for the formation of stable solitons is found in terms of the power. Interactions between stable solitons are virtually unaffected by the MM. The second method (parametric approximation), going beyond the MF description, is developed for spatially homogeneous states in the BEC model. It demonstrates that the MF description is valid for large modulation periods, while, at smaller periods, non-MF components acquire gain, which implies destruction of the MF under the action of the high-frequency MM.

Stable three-dimensional optical solitons supported by competing quadratic and self-focusing cubic nonlinearities

We show that the quadratic (chi(2)) interaction of fundamental and second harmonics in a bulk dispersive medium, combined with self-focusing cubic (chi(3)) nonlinearity, give rise to stable three-dimensional spatiotemporal solitons (STSs), despite the possibility of the supercritical collapse, induced by the chi(3) nonlinearity. At exact phase matching (beta = 0) , the STSs are stable for energies from zero up to a certain maximum value, while for beta not equal 0 the solitons are stable in energy intervals between finite limits.

Three-dimensional spatiotemporal optical solitons in nonlocal nonlinear media

We demonstrate the existence of stable three-dimensional spatiotemporal solitons (STSs) in media with a nonlocal cubic nonlinearity. Fundamental (nonspinning) STSs forming one-parameter families are stable if their propagation constant exceeds a certain critical value that is inversely proportional to the range of nonlocality of nonlinear response. All spinning three-dimensional STSs are found to be unstable.

Spatiotemporal discrete multicolor solitons

We have found various families of two-dimensional spatiotemporal solitons in quadratically nonlinear waveguide arrays. The families of unstaggered odd, even, and twisted stationary solutions are thoroughly characterized and their stability against perturbations is investigated. We show that the twisted and even solitons display instability, while most of the odd solitons show remarkable stability upon evolution.

Stable three-dimensional spatiotemporal solitons in a two-dimensional photonic lattice

We investigate the existence and stability of three-dimensional spatiotemporal solitons in self-focusing cubic Kerr-type optical media with an imprinted two-dimensional harmonic transverse modulation of the refractive index. We demonstrate that two-dimensional photonic Kerr-type nonlinear lattices can support stable one-parameter families of three-dimensional spatiotemporal solitons provided that their energy is within a certain interval and the strength of the lattice potential, which is proportional to the refractive index modulation depth, is above a certain threshold value.

Stable vortex solitons supported by competing quadratic and cubic nonlinearities

We address the stability problem for vortex solitons in two-dimensional media combining quadratic and self-defocusing cubic [chi(2):chi(3)- ] nonlinearities. We consider the propagation of spatial beams with intrinsic vorticity S in such bulk optical media. It was earlier found that the S=1 and S=2 solitons can be stable, provided that their power (i.e., transverse size) is large enough, and it was conjectured that all the higher-order vortices with S> or =3 are always unstable. On the other hand, it was recently shown that vortex solitons with S>2 and very large transverse size may be stable in media combining cubic self-focusing and quintic self-defocusing nonlinearities. Here, we demonstrate that the same is true in the chi(2):chi(3)- model, the vortices with S=3 and S=4 being stable in regions occupying, respectively, approximately 3% and 1.5% of their existence domain. The vortex solitons with S>4 are also stable in tiny regions. The results are obtained through computation of stability eigenvalues, and are then checked in direct simulations, with a conclusion that the stable vortices are truly robust ones, easily self-trapping from initial beams with embedded vorticity. The dependence of the stability region on the chi(2) phase-mismatch parameter is specially investigated. We thus conclude that the stability of higher-order two-dimensional vortex solitons in narrow regions is a generic feature of optical media featuring the competition between self-focusing and self-defocusing nonlinearities. A qualitative analytical explanation to this feature is proposed.

Stable spatiotemporal spinning solitons in a bimodal cubic-quintic medium

We investigate the formation of stable spatiotemporal three-dimensional (3D) solitons ("light bullets") with internal vorticity ("spin") in a bimodal system described by coupled cubic-quintic nonlinear Schrödinger equations. Two relevant versions of the model, for the linear and circular polarizations, are considered. In the former case, an important ingredient of the model are four-wave-mixing terms, which give rise to a phase-sensitive nonlinear coupling between two polarization components. Thresholds for the formation of both spinning and nonspinning 3D solitons are found. Instability growth rates of perturbation eigenmodes with different azimuthal indices are calculated as functions of the solitons' propagation constant. As a result, stability domains in the model's parameter plane are identified for solitons with the values of the spins of their components s=0 and s=1, while all the solitons with s> or =2 are unstable. The solitons with s=1 are stable only if their energy exceeds a certain critical value, so that, in typical cases, the stability region occupies approximately 25% of their existence domain. Direct simulations of the full system produce results that are in perfect agreement with the linear-stability analysis: stable 3D spinning solitons readily self-trap from initial Gaussian pulses with embedded vorticity, and easily heal themselves if strong perturbations are imposed, while unstable spinning solitons quickly split into a set of separating zero-spin fragments whose number is exactly equal to the azimuthal index of the strongest unstable perturbation eigenmode.

Soliton "molecules": robust clusters of spatiotemporal optical solitons

We show how to generate robust self-sustained clusters of soliton bullets-spatiotemporal (optical or matter-wave) solitons. The clusters carry an orbital angular momentum being supported by competing nonlinearities. The "atoms" forming the "molecule" are fully three-dimensional solitons linked via a staircaselike macroscopic phase. Recent progress in generating atomic-molecular coherent mixing in the Bose-Einstein condensates might open potential scenarios for the experimental generation of these soliton molecules with matter waves.

Light bullets in quadratic media with normal dispersion at the second harmonic

Stable two- and three-dimensional spatiotemporal solitons (STSs) in second-harmonic-generating media are found in the case of normal dispersion at the second-harmonic (SH). This result, surprising from the theoretical viewpoint, opens the way for experimental realization of STSs. An analytical estimate for the existence of STSs is derived, and full results, including a complete stability diagram, are obtained in numerical form. STSs withstand not only the normal SH dispersion, but also finite walk-off between the harmonics, and readily self-trap from a Gaussian pulse launched at the fundamental frequency.

Stable three-dimensional spinning optical solitons supported by competing quadratic and cubic nonlinearities

We show that the quadratic interaction of fundamental and second harmonics in a bulk dispersive medium, combined with self-defocusing cubic nonlinearity, gives rise to completely localized spatiotemporal solitons (vortex tori) with vorticity s=1. There is no threshold necessary for the existence of these solitons. They are found to be stable if their energy exceeds a certain critical value, so that the stability domain occupies about 10% of the existence region of the solitons. On the contrary to spatial vortex solitons in the same model, the spatiotemporal ones with s=2 are never stable. These results might open the way for experimental observation of spinning three-dimensional solitons in optical media.

Stable spinning optical solitons in three dimensions

We introduce spatiotemporal spinning solitons (vortex tori) of the three-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equation with focusing cubic and defocusing quintic nonlinearities. The first ever found completely stable spatiotemporal vortex solitons are demonstrated. A general conclusion is that stable spinning solitons are possible as a result of competition between focusing and defocusing nonlinearities.