Visualizing a Nonlinear Response in a Schrödinger Wave

Pengbo Jia, Zhili Li, Yi Hu, Zhigang Chen, and Jingjun Xu
Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 234101 – Published 4 December 2019

Abstract

We demonstrate for the first time that the nonlinear response of a medium can be mapped directly onto a dynamical wave profile as governed by a generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation. As analyzed in an accelerating coordinate, the intrinsic gravitylike potential helps “isolate” the effects related to a strong repulsive nonlinear interaction from the dispersion or diffraction in a steady state. Thus, under appropriate conditions, the associated nonlinear response curve can be read out directly in the profile of the nonlinear state. A simple scheme is proposed to approach adiabatically these modes through a shaped input wave profile. Our analysis is further verified experimentally by directly visualizing a Kerr (saturable) nonlinearity experienced by an optical pulse (beam) in a nonlinear fiber (photorefractive crystal), validating the versatility of this approach for different types of optical nonlinearities.

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  • Received 21 July 2019

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.234101

© 2019 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Nonlinear Dynamics

Authors & Affiliations

Pengbo Jia1,§, Zhili Li1,§, Yi Hu1,*, Zhigang Chen1,2,†, and Jingjun Xu1,‡

  • 1The MOE Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics, TEDA Applied Physics Institute and School of Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin 300457, China
  • 2Department of Physics and Astronomy, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California 94132, USA

  • *yihu@nankai.edu.cn
  • zgchen@nankai.edu.cn
  • jjxu@nankai.edu.cn
  • §P. J. and Z. L. contributed equally to this work.

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Issue

Vol. 123, Iss. 23 — 6 December 2019

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