High frequency integrable regimes in nonlocal nonlinear optics

We consider an integrable model which describes light beams propagating in nonlocal nonlinear media of Cole-Cole type. The model is derived as high frequency limit of both Maxwell equations and the nonlocal nonlinear Schroedinger equation. We demonstrate that for a general form of nonlinearity there exist selfguided light beams. In high frequency limit nonlocal perturbations can be seen as a class of phase deformation along one direction. We study in detail nonlocal perturbations described by the dispersionless Veselov-Novikov (dVN) hierarchy. The dVN hierarchy is analyzed by the reduction method based on symmetry constraints and by the quasiclassical Dbar-dressing method. Quasiclassical Dbar-dressing method reveals a connection between nonlocal nonlinear geometric optics and the theory of quasiconformal mappings of the plane.Comment: 45 pages, 4 figure

Paraxial light in a Cole-Cole nonlocal medium: integrable regimes and singularities

Nonlocal nonlinear Schroedinger-type equation is derived as a model to describe paraxial light propagation in nonlinear media with different `degrees' of nonlocality. High frequency limit of this equation is studied under specific assumptions of Cole-Cole dispersion law and a slow dependence along propagating direction. Phase equations are integrable and they correspond to dispersionless limit of Veselov-Novikov hierarchy. Analysis of compatibility among intensity law (dependence of intensity on the refractive index) and high frequency limit of Poynting vector conservation law reveals the existence of singular wavefronts. It is shown that beams features depend critically on the orientation properties of quasiconformal mappings of the plane. Another class of wavefronts, whatever is intensity law, is provided by harmonic minimal surfaces. Illustrative example is given by helicoid surface. Compatibility with first and third degree nonlocal perturbations and explicit solutions are also discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures; eq. (36) corrected, minor change

Target Patterns in a 2-D Array of Oscillators with Nonlocal Coupling

We analyze the effect of adding a weak, localized, inhomogeneity to a two dimensional array of oscillators with nonlocal coupling. We propose and also justify a model for the phase dynamics in this system. Our model is a generalization of a viscous eikonal equation that is known to describe the phase modulation of traveling waves in reaction-diffusion systems. We show the existence of a branch of target pattern solutions that bifurcates from the spatially homogeneous state when $\varepsilon$, the strength of the inhomogeneity, is nonzero and we also show that these target patterns have an asymptotic wavenumber that is small beyond all orders in $\varepsilon$. The strategy of our proof is to pose a good ansatz for an approximate form of the solution and use the implicit function theorem to prove the existence of a solution in its vicinity. The analysis presents two challenges. First, the linearization about the homogeneous state is a convolution operator of diffusive type and hence not invertible on the usual Sobolev spaces. Second, a regular perturbation expansion in $\varepsilon$ does not provide a good ansatz for applying the implicit function theorem since the nonlinearities play a major role in determining the relevant approximation, which also needs to be "correct" to all orders in $\varepsilon$. We overcome these two points by proving Fredholm properties for the linearization in appropriate Kondratiev spaces and using a refined ansatz for the approximate solution, which obtained using matched asymptotics.Comment: 39 pages, 1 figur

A scalar nonlocal bifurcation of solitary waves for coupled nonlinear Schroedinger systems

An explanation is given for previous numerical results which suggest a certain bifurcation of `vector solitons' from scalar (single-component) solitary waves in coupled nonlinear Schroedinger (NLS) systems. The bifurcation in question is nonlocal in the sense that the vector soliton does not have a small-amplitude component, but instead approaches a solitary wave of one component with two infinitely far-separated waves in the other component. Yet, it is argued that this highly nonlocal event can be predicted from a purely local analysis of the central solitary wave alone. Specifically the linearisation around the central wave should contain asymptotics which grow at precisely the speed of the other-component solitary waves on the two wings. This approximate argument is supported by both a detailed analysis based on matched asymptotic expansions, and numerical experiments on two example systems. The first is the usual coupled NLS system involving an arbitrary ratio between the self-phase and cross-phase modulation terms, and the second is a coupled NLS system with saturable nonlinearity that has recently been demonstrated to support stable multi-peaked solitary waves. The asymptotic analysis further reveals that when the curves which define the proposed criterion for scalar nonlocal bifurcations intersect with boundaries of certain local bifurcations, the nonlocal bifurcation could turn from scalar to non-scalar at the intersection. This phenomenon is observed in the first example. Lastly, we have also selectively tested the linear stability of several solitary waves just born out of scalar nonlocal bifurcations. We found that they are linearly unstable. However, they can lead to stable solitary waves through parameter continuation.Comment: To appear in Nonlinearit

Azimuthal Modulational Instability of Vortices in the Nonlinear Schr\"odinger Equation

We study the azimuthal modulational instability of vortices with different topological charges, in the focusing two-dimensional nonlinear Schr{\"o}dinger (NLS) equation. The method of studying the stability relies on freezing the radial direction in the Lagrangian functional of the NLS in order to form a quasi-one-dimensional azimuthal equation of motion, and then applying a stability analysis in Fourier space of the azimuthal modes. We formulate predictions of growth rates of individual modes and find that vortices are unstable below a critical azimuthal wave number. Steady state vortex solutions are found by first using a variational approach to obtain an asymptotic analytical ansatz, and then using it as an initial condition to a numerical optimization routine. The stability analysis predictions are corroborated by direct numerical simulations of the NLS. We briefly show how to extend the method to encompass nonlocal nonlinearities that tend to stabilize solutions.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, in press for Optics Communication