Stable topological modes in two-dimensional Ginzburg-Landau models with trapping potentials

Complex Ginzburg-Landau (CGL) models of laser media (with the cubic-quintic nonlinearity) do not contain an effective diffusion term, which makes all vortex solitons unstable in these models. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the addition of a two-dimensional periodic potential, which may be induced by a transverse grating in the laser cavity, to the CGL equation stabilizes compound (four-peak) vortices, but the most fundamental "crater-shaped" vortices (CSVs), alias vortex rings, which are, essentially, squeezed into a single cell of the potential, have not been found before in a stable form. In this work we report families of stable compact CSVs with vorticity S=1 in the CGL model with the external potential of two different types: an axisymmetric parabolic trap, and the periodic potential. In both cases, we identify stability region for the CSVs and for the fundamental solitons (S=0). Those CSVs which are unstable in the axisymmetric potential break up into robust dipoles. All the vortices with S=2 are unstable, splitting into tripoles. Stability regions for the dipoles and tripoles are identified too. The periodic potential cannot stabilize CSVs with S>=2 either; instead, families of stable compact square-shaped quadrupoles are found

Stable autosolitons in dispersive media with saturable gain and absorption

We introduce the simplest one-dimensional model of a dispersive optical medium with saturable dissipative nonlinearity and filtering (dispersive loss) which gives rise to stable solitary pulses (autosolitons). In the particular case when the dispersive loss is absent, the same model may also be interpreted as describing a stationary field in a planar optical waveguide with uniformly distributed saturable gain and absorption. In a certain region of the model's parameter space, two coexisting solitary-pulse solutions are found numerically, one of which may be stable. Solving the corresponding linearized eigenvalue problem, we identify stability borders for the solitary pulses in their parametric plane. Beyond one of the borders, the symmetric pulse is destroyed by asymmetric perturbations, and at the other border it undergoes a Hopf bifurcation, which may turn it into a breather.Comment: A latex text file and four ps files with figures. Physics Letters A, in pres

Dynamical instabilities of dissipative solitons in nonlinear optical cavities with nonlocal materials

In this work we characterize the dynamical instabilities of localized structures exhibited by a recently introduced Gelens et al., Phys. Rev. A 75, 063812 2007 generalization of the Lugiato-Lefever model that includes a weakly nonlocal response of an intracavity metamaterial. A rich scenario, in which the localized structures exhibit different types of oscillatory instabilities, tristability, and excitability, including a regime of conditional excitability in which the system is bistable, is presented and discussed. Finally, it is shown that the scenario is organized by a pair of Takens-Bogdanov codimension-2 points.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figure

Real-Time DSP-Free 100Gbit/s/λ PAM-4 Fiber Access Link using EML and Direct Detection

A 100 Gbit/s/ λ PAM-4 fiber link with an optical budget of 30 dB and 20 km fiber reach is achieved in real time experiments. This is compliant with class A (20 dB) point to point (PtP) applications as mobile fronthaul for example, and with class N1 (29 dB) point to multipoint (PtMP) for residential market. We used an integrated externally modulated laser, an analog pre-equalizer, an optical booster amplifier and/or non-filtered preamplifier and direct detection without any digital signal processing (whether real-time or offline)

Quasiperiodic waves at the onset of zero Prandtl number convection with rotation

We show the possibility of quasiperiodic waves at the onset of thermal convection in a thin horizontal layer of slowly rotating zero-Prandtl number Boussinesq fluid confined between stress-free conducting boundaries. Two independent frequencies emerge due to an interaction between a stationary instability and a self-tuned wavy instability in presence of coriolis force, if Taylor number is raised above a critical value. Constructing a dynamical system for the hydrodynamical problem, the competition between the interacting instabilities is analyzed. The forward bifurcation from the conductive state is self-tuned.Comment: 9 pages of text (LaTex), 5 figures (Jpeg format

Amyloid-Like Aggregates of the Yeast Prion Protein Ure2 Enter Vertebrate Cells by Specific Endocytotic Pathways and Induce Apoptosis

BACKGROUND: A number of amyloid diseases involve deposition of extracellular protein aggregates, which are implicated in mechanisms of cell damage and death. However, the mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we use the yeast prion protein Ure2 as a generic model to investigate how amyloid-like protein aggregates can enter mammalian cells and convey cytotoxicity. The effect of three different states of Ure2 protein (native dimer, protofibrils and mature fibrils) was tested on four mammalian cell lines (SH-SY5Y, MES23.5, HEK-293 and HeLa) when added extracellularly to the medium. Immunofluorescence using a polyclonal antibody against Ure2 showed that all three protein states could enter the four cell lines. In each case, protofibrils significantly inhibited the growth of the cells in a dose-dependent manner, fibrils showed less toxicity than protofibrils, while the native state had no effect on cell growth. This suggests that the structural differences between the three protein states lead to their different effects upon cells. Protofibrils of Ure2 increased membrane conductivity, altered calcium homeostasis, and ultimately induced apoptosis. The use of standard inhibitors suggested uptake into mammalian cells might occur via receptor-mediated endocytosis. In order to investigate this further, we used the chicken DT40 B cell line DKOR, which allows conditional expression of clathrin. Uptake into the DKOR cell-line was reduced when clathrin expression was repressed suggesting similarities between the mechanism of PrP uptake and the mechanism observed here for Ure2. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The results provide insight into the mechanisms by which amyloid aggregates may cause pathological effects in prion and amyloid diseases