Space–time evolution of optical breathers and modulation instability patterns in metamaterial waveguides

Abstract

We present numerical and theoretical investigations of the spontaneous emergence of noise-driven modulation instability patterns in a metamaterial waveguide, which involves the generation of optical breather waves such as the Peregrine soliton, Akhmediev breathers and Kuznetsov-Ma breathers. We show that the intrinsic properties of the metamaterial waveguide, e.g. self-steepening and the magnetooptics effects, offer the potential to control the formation and subsequent spectral and temporal dynamics of these localized nonlinear waves. Such internal or external perturbations break the symmetry of the spectrum of nonlinear waves, thus leading to the existence of a controllable characteristic group velocity in their space-time evolution.

“Extraordinary” modulation instability in optics and hydrodynamics

“…This twofold confirmation of the effect shows that it is ubiquitous and does not depend on the scale of the physical system that we operate with. The effects should be also observable in other areas of physics such as astrophysics (51), plasma (52,53), metamaterials (54), and in Bose-Einstein condensate (55,56). We envisage that the phenomenon can be useful in applications such as generation of optical frequency combs and pulse trains with prescribed parameters: periods, amplitudes, and duty cycles.…”

"Extraordinary" modulation instability in optics and hydrodynamics

“…This twofold confirmation of the effect shows that it is ubiquitous and does not depend on the scale of the physical system that we operate with. The effects should be also observable in other areas of physics such as astrophysics [45], plasma [46,47], metamaterials [48] and in Bose-Einstein condensate [49,50]. We envisage that the new phenomenon can be useful in applications such as generation of optical frequency combs and pulse trains with prescribed parameters: periods, amplitudes and duty cycles.…”

A Peregrine Soliton-Like Structure That Has Nothing to Deal With a Peregrine Breather

“…Peregrine-like structures have also more recently been observed in other photonic systems that may deviate from the simple NLSE framework. Indeed, PS or breather features have been experimentally or theoretically reported in lasers [14], optical cavities [15], metamaterials [16], quadratic or photorefractive media [17,18].…”

“…The list of the fiber-based nonlinear processes that are linked to the PS evolution is a long one and includes the modulation instability [7], the propagation of turbulent fields [8][9][10], the initial stage of temporal compression of higher-order soliton pulses [11], the focusing of super-Gaussian structures [12], the generation of ultrashort structures [13]… Peregrine-like structures have also more recently been observed in other photonic systems that may deviate from the simple NLSE framework. Indeed, PS or breather features have been experimentally or theoretically reported in lasers [14], optical cavities [15], metamaterials [16], quadratic or photorefractive media [17,18].…”