Control of wave packet spreading in nonlinear finite disordered lattices

Rogue waves in disordered 1D photonic lattices

In this work, we study the phenomena of Rogue waves (RW) on one-dimensional (1D) photonic lattices presenting diagonal and non-diagonal disorder. Our results show the appearance of extreme events coming from the superposition of different, extended and localized, linear waves for weak disorder. We perform experiments on femtosecond laser written waveguide arrays having disorder in coupling constants, which is originated from a random waveguide distribution. Both, numerics and experiments, are in good agreement and show that RW are generically present in 1D lattices for weak disorder only, after a mandatory data filtering process.

Self-trapping transition in nonlinear cubic lattices

We explore the fundamental question of the critical nonlinearity value needed to dynamically localize energy in discrete nonlinear cubic (Kerr) lattices. We focus on the effective frequency and participation ratio of the profile to determine the transition into localization in one-, two-, and three-dimensional lattices. A simple and general criterion is developed, for the case of an initially localized excitation, to define the transition region in parameter space ("dynamical tongue") from a delocalized to a localized profile. We introduce a method for computing the dynamically excited frequencies, which helps us validate our stationary ansatz approach and the effective frequency concept. A general analytical estimate of the critical nonlinearity is obtained, with an extra parameter to be determined. We find this parameter to be almost constant for two-dimensional systems and prove its validity by applying it successfully to two-dimensional binary lattices.

Dynamics of a nonlocal discrete Gross-Pitaevskii equation with defects

We study the dynamics of dipolar gas in deep lattices described by a nonlocal nonlinear discrete Gross-Pitaevskii equation. The stabilities and the propagation properties of traveling plane waves in the system with defects are discussed in detail. For a clean lattice, both energetic and dynamical stabilities of the traveling plane waves are studied. It is shown that the system with attractive local interaction can preserve the stabilities, i.e., the dipoles can stabilize the gas because of repulsive nonlocal dipole-dipole interactions. For a lattice with defects, within a two-mode approximation, the propagation properties of traveling plane waves in the system map onto a nonrigid pendulum Hamiltonian with quasimomentum-dependent nonlinearity (induced by the nonlocal interactions). Competition between defects, quasimomentum of the gas, and nonlocal interactions determines the propagation properties of the traveling plane waves. Critical conditions for crossing from a superfluid regime with propagation preserved to a normal regime with defect-induced damping are obtained analytically and confirmed numerically. In particular, the critical conditions for supporting the superfluidity strongly depend on the defect type and the quasimomentum of the plane waves. The nonlocal interaction can significantly enhance the superfluidity of the system.

Enhanced distribution of a wave-packet in lattices with disorder and nonlinearity

We show, numerically and experimentally, that the presence of weak disorder results in an enhanced energy distribution of an initially localized wave-packet, in one- and two-dimensional finite lattices. The addition of a focusing nonlinearity facilitates the spreading effect even further by increasing the wave-packet effective size. We find a clear transition between the regions of enhanced spreading (weak disorder) and localization (strong disorder).

Wave packet dynamics in one-dimensional linear and nonlinear generalized Fibonacci lattices

The spreading of an initially localized wave packet in one-dimensional linear and nonlinear generalized Fibonacci (GF) lattices is studied numerically. The GF lattices can be classified into two classes depending on whether or not the lattice possesses the Pisot-Vijayaraghavan property. For linear GF lattices of the first class, both the second moment and the participation number grow with time. For linear GF lattices of the second class, in the regime of a weak on-site potential, wave packet spreading is close to ballistic diffusion, whereas in the regime of a strong on-site potential, it displays stairlike growth in both the second moment and the participation number. Nonlinear GF lattices are then investigated in parallel. For the first class of nonlinear GF lattices, the second moment of the wave packet still grows with time, but the corresponding participation number does not grow simultaneously. For the second class of nonlinear GF lattices, an analogous phenomenon is observed for the weak on-site potential only. For a strong on-site potential that leads to an enhanced nonlinear self-trapping effect, neither the second moment nor the participation number grows with time. The results can be useful in guiding experiments on the expansion of noninteracting or interacting cold atoms in quasiperiodic optical lattices.