Summary: VOLUME 83, NUMBER 23 P H Y S I C A L R E V I E W L E T T E R S 6 DECEMBER 1999
Coherent and Incoherent Contributions to Multisoliton Complexes
Andrey A. Sukhorukov and Nail N. Akhmediev
Australian Photonics Cooperative Research Centre, Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering,
Optical Sciences Centre, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia
(Received 6 April 1999)
We analyze multisoliton complexes and their dynamics in Kerr-like nonlinear media. The field in
each of M incoherently interacting components is calculated using an integrable set of coupled nonlinear
Schrödinger equations. We obtain a general N-soliton solution describing propagation of multisoliton
complexes and their collisions. The evolution of such higher-order soliton beams is determined
by coherent and incoherent contributions from fundamental solitons. These internal interactions are
revealed and illustrated by numerical examples. This theory can be applied to describe the properties
of incoherent solitons in a photorefractive medium since these are, essentially, multisoliton complexes.
PACS numbers: 42.65.Tg, 05.45.Yv
One of the most noted discoveries of modern soliton
science is that solitons can be excited by an incandescent
light bulb instead of a high power laser source [1]. This
produces "incoherent solitons" [1­3]; they can exist in
photorefractive materials which require amazingly low
powers to observe highly nonlinear phenomena [4­6]. It

Source: Akhmediev, Nail - Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Australian National University
Australian National University, Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Nonlinear Physics Centre

Collections: Engineering; Physics