Diffraction-induced instability of coupled dark solitary waves

Authors

Gaetano Assanto, University of Rome, University of Wollongong
J. Michael L. Macneil, University of Edinburgh
Noel F. Smyth, University of Edinburgh

RIS ID

100940

Publication Details

Assanto, G., Macneil, J. L. & Smyth, N. F. (2015). Diffraction-induced instability of coupled dark solitary waves. Optics Letters, 40 (8), 1771-1774.

Abstract

We report on a novel instability arising from the propagation of coupled dark solitary beams governed by coupled defocusing nonlinear Schrdinger equations. Considering dark notches on backgrounds with different wavelengths, hence different diffraction coefficients, we find that the vector dark soliton solution is unstable to radiation modes. Using perturbation theory and numerical integration, we demonstrate that the component undergoing stronger diffraction radiates away, leaving a single dark soliton in the other mode/wavelength. (C) 2015 Optical Society of America