Internal reflection of one-dimensional bright spatial solitons

Abstract

We study the reflection of one-dimensional spatial solitons at the non-linear interface between a Kerr-type medium and a linear medium. Our study places emphasis on determining the physical conditions under which the beam reflected by the non-linear interface is still a spatial soliton. We find that for small angles of incidence an elastic internal reflection takes place, in the sense that the reflected soliton is essentially the same as the incident one. For incidence angles near a critical angle, the reflected soliton becomes less intense and its reflection angle is smaller than the angle of incidence. Finally, for spatial solitons with input angles well above the critical angle, the main part of the energy is transmitted to the linear medium, and no soliton is internally reflected.