Spatial Modulational Instability and Multisolitonlike Generation in a Quadratically Nonlinear Optical Medium

R. A. Fuerst; D.-M. Baboiu; B. Lawrence; W. E. Torruellas; G. I. Stegeman; Stefano Trillo; Stefan Wabnitz

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.78.2756

Spatial Modulational Instability and Multisolitonlike Generation in a Quadratically Nonlinear Optical Medium

R. A. Fuerst, D.-M. Baboiu, B. Lawrence, W. E. Torruellas, G. I. Stegeman, Stefano Trillo, and Stefan Wabnitz

Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 2756 – Published 7 April 1997

Abstract

A novel type of spatial modulational instability induced by the dynamical interaction of two strongly coupled fundamental and harmonic fields in a second-order nonlinear optical material is demonstrated experimentally. This phenomenon is explained theoretically on the basis of a one-dimensional Floquet theory. At high intensities, the formation of a 1D solitary wave lattice is superseded by the onset of 2D modulational instabilities.