An Adiabatic Invariant Approach to Transverse Instability: Landau Dynamics of Soliton Filaments

Assume a lower-dimensional solitonic structure embedded in a higher dimensional space, e.g., a 1D dark soliton embedded in 2D space, a ring dark soliton in 2D space, a spherical shell soliton in 3D space etc. By extending the Landau dynamics approach [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 93}, 240403 (2004)], we show that it is possible to capture the transverse dynamical modes (the "Kelvin modes") of the undulation of this "soliton filament" within the higher dimensional space. These are the transverse stability/instability modes and are the ones potentially responsible for the breakup of the soliton into structures such as vortices, vortex rings etc. We present the theory and case examples in 2D and 3D, corroborating the results by numerical stability and dynamical computations.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Dynamics and Manipulation of Matter-Wave Solitons in Optical Superlattices

We analyze the existence and stability of bright, dark, and gap matter-wave solitons in optical superlattices. Then, using these properties, we show that (time-dependent) ``dynamical superlattices'' can be used to controllably place, guide, and manipulate these solitons. In particular, we use numerical experiments to displace solitons by turning on a secondary lattice structure, transfer solitons from one location to another by shifting one superlattice substructure relative to the other, and implement solitonic ``path-following'', in which a matter wave follows the time-dependent lattice substructure into oscillatory motion.Comment: 6 pages, revtex, 6 figures, to appear in Physics Letters A; minor modifications from last versio

Three-Dimensional Nonlinear Lattices: From Oblique Vortices and Octupoles to Discrete Diamonds and Vortex Cubes

We construct a variety of novel localized states with distinct topological structures in the 3D discrete nonlinear Schr{\"{o}}dinger equation. The states can be created in Bose-Einstein condensates trapped in strong optical lattices, and crystals built of microresonators. These new structures, most of which have no counterparts in lower dimensions, range from purely real patterns of dipole, quadrupole and octupole types to vortex solutions, such as "diagonal" and "oblique" vortices, with axes oriented along the respective directions $(1,1,1)$ and $(1,1,0)$. Vortex "cubes" (stacks of two quasi-planar vortices with like or opposite polarities) and "diamonds" (discrete skyrmions formed by two vortices with orthogonal axes) are constructed too. We identify stability regions of these 3D solutions and compare them with their 2D counterparts, if any. An explanation for the stability/instability of most solutions is proposed. The evolution of unstable states is studied as well.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted January 200