Q-switching bifurcation dynamics of passively mode-locked lasers.

We model Q-switched pulses in passively mode-locked lasers using the cubic-quintic complex Ginzburg-Landau equation (CGLE). We show that a wide set of parameters of this equation leads to Q-switched pulses of triangular shape that consist of a periodic sequence of evolving dissipative solitons. Bifurcation diagrams demonstrating various transformations of these pulses are calculated in terms of five major parameters of the CGLE. The diagrams show period doubling transformations as well as the transition to a chaotic evolution of the Q-switched pulses.

Concurrent Passive Mode-Locked and Self-Q-Switched Operation in Laser Systems.

Concurrent passive mode-locked and self-Q-switched operation of laser devices is modeled using the complex cubic-quintic Ginzburg-Landau equation. Experimental observations use a passively mode-locked fiber ring laser with a waveguide array as a fast saturable absorber. The shape of each individual self-Q-switched pulse and the periodic trains of pairs of such pulses are in a good qualitative agreement with the numerical results.

Complex Korteweg-de Vries equation: A deeper theory of shallow water waves.

Using Levi-Cività's theory of ideal fluids, we derive the complex Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation, describing the complex velocity of a shallow fluid up to first order. We use perturbation theory, and the long wave, slowly varying velocity approximations for shallow water. The complex KdV equation describes the nontrivial dynamics of all water particles from the surface to the bottom of the water layer. A crucial step made in our work is the proof that a natural consequence of the complex KdV theory is that the wave elevation is described by the real KdV equation. The complex KdV approach in the theory of shallow fluids is thus more fundamental than the one based on the real KdV equation. We demonstrate how it allows direct calculation of the particle trajectories at any point of the fluid, and that these results agree well with numerical simulations of other authors.

Bright and dark rogue internal waves: The Gardner equation approach.

We have found "bright and dark" solutions of the Gardner equation which can model internal rogue waves in three-layer fluids. We provide the first four "bright" and "dark" exact rational solutions to the Gardner equation. These are the lowest-order solutions of the corresponding hierarchies of rogue-wave solutions of this equation. They have been obtained from the rogue-wave solutions of a modified Korteweg-de Vries equation by using a Lorentz-type transformation. The maximal (and minimal) amplitudes and the background levels of these solutions for arbitrary order are deduced, based on the lowest-order examples. These solutions can be useful for explanations of extremely large amplitude internal waves in the ocean, as well as for abnormally large-amplitude waves in other areas of nonlinear physics, such as optics and dusty plasmas.

Doubly periodic solutions of the class-I infinitely extended nonlinear Schrödinger equation.

We present doubly periodic solutions of the infinitely extended nonlinear Schrödinger equation with an arbitrary number of higher-order terms and corresponding free real parameters. Solutions have one additional free variable parameter that allows one to vary periods along the two axes. The presence of infinitely many free parameters provides many possibilities in applying the solutions to nonlinear wave evolution. Being general, this solution admits several particular cases which are also given in this article.

Shallow-water rogue waves: An approach based on complex solutions of the Korteweg-de Vries equation.

The formation of rogue waves in shallow water is presented in this Rapid Communication by providing the three lowest-order exact rational solutions to the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation. They have been obtained from the modified KdV equation by using the complex Miura transformation. It is found that the amplitude amplification factor of such waves formed in shallow water is much larger than the amplitude amplification factor of those occurring in deep water. These solutions clearly demonstrate a potential hazard for coastal areas. They can also provide a solid mathematical basis for the existence of abnormally large-amplitude waves in other branches of nonlinear physics such as optics, unidirectional crystal growth, and in quantum mechanics.

Dissipative solitons with extreme spikes in the normal and anomalous dispersion regimes.

Prigogine's ideas of systems far from equilibrium and self-organization (Prigogine & Lefever. 1968 J. Chem. Phys.48, 1695-1700 (doi:10.1063/1.1668896); Glansdorff & Prigogine. 1971 Thermodynamic theory of structures, stability and fluctuations New York, NY/London, UK: Wiley) deeply influenced physics, and soliton science in particular. These ideas allowed the notion of solitons to be extended from purely integrable cases to the concept of dissipative solitons. The latter are qualitatively different from the solitons in integrable and Hamiltonian systems. The variety in their forms is huge. In this paper, one recent example is considered-dissipative solitons with extreme spikes (DSESs). It was found that DSESs exist in large regions of the parameter space of the complex cubic-quintic Ginzburg-Landau equation. A continuous variation in any of its parameters results in a rich structure of bifurcations.This article is part of the theme issue 'Dissipative structures in matter out of equilibrium: from chemistry, photonics and biology (part 1)'.

Sasa-Satsuma hierarchy of integrable evolution equations.

We present the infinite hierarchy of Sasa-Satsuma evolution equations. The corresponding Lax pairs are given, thus proving its integrability. The lowest order member of this hierarchy is the nonlinear Schrödinger equation, while the next one is the Sasa-Satsuma equation that includes third-order terms. Up to sixth-order terms of the hierarchy are given in explicit form, while the provided recurrence relation allows one to explicitly write all higher-order terms. The whole hierarchy can be combined into a single general equation. Each term in this equation contains a real independent coefficient that provides the possibility of adapting the equation to practical needs. A few examples of exact solutions of this general equation with an infinite number of terms are also given explicitly.

Rogue wave solutions for the infinite integrable nonlinear Schrödinger equation hierarchy.

We present rogue wave solutions of the integrable nonlinear Schrödinger equation hierarchy with an infinite number of higher-order terms. The latter include higher-order dispersion and higher-order nonlinear terms. In particular, we derive the fundamental rogue wave solutions for all orders of the hierarchy, with exact expressions for velocities, phase, and "stretching factors" in the solutions. We also present several examples of exact solutions of second-order rogue waves, including rogue wave triplets.

Breather solutions of a fourth-order nonlinear Schrödinger equation in the degenerate, soliton, and rogue wave limits.

We present one- and two-breather solutions of the fourth-order nonlinear Schrödinger equation. With several parameters to play with, the solution may take a variety of forms. We consider most of these cases including the general form and limiting cases when the modulation frequencies are 0 or coincide. The zero-frequency limit produces a combination of breather-soliton structures on a constant background. The case of equal modulation frequencies produces a degenerate solution that requires a special technique for deriving. A zero-frequency limit of this degenerate solution produces a rational second-order rogue wave solution with a stretching factor involved. Taking, in addition, the zero limit of the stretching factor transforms the second-order rogue waves into a soliton. Adding a differential shift in the degenerate solution results in structural changes in the wave profile. Moreover, the zero-frequency limit of the degenerate solution with differential shift results in a rogue wave triplet. The zero limit of the stretching factor in this solution, in turn, transforms the triplet into a singlet plus a low-amplitude soliton on the background. A large value of the differential shift parameter converts the triplet into a pure singlet.

Breather turbulence versus soliton turbulence: Rogue waves, probability density functions, and spectral features.

Turbulence in integrable systems exhibits a noticeable scientific advantage: it can be expressed in terms of the nonlinear modes of these systems. Whether the majority of the excitations in the system are breathers or solitons defines the properties of the turbulent state. In the two extreme cases we can call such states "breather turbulence" or "soliton turbulence." The number of rogue waves, the probability density functions of the chaotic wave fields, and their physical spectra are all specific for each of these two situations. Understanding these extreme cases also helps in studies of mixed turbulent states when the wave field contains both solitons and breathers, thus revealing intermediate characteristics.

Modulation Instability and Phase-Shifted Fermi-Pasta-Ulam Recurrence.

Instabilities are common phenomena frequently observed in nature, sometimes leading to unexpected catastrophes and disasters in seemingly normal conditions. One prominent form of instability in a distributed system is its response to a harmonic modulation. Such instability has special names in various branches of physics and is generally known as modulation instability (MI). The MI leads to a growth-decay cycle of unstable waves and is therefore related to Fermi-Pasta-Ulam (FPU) recurrence since breather solutions of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) are known to accurately describe growth and decay of modulationally unstable waves in conservative systems. Here, we report theoretical, numerical and experimental evidence of the effect of dissipation on FPU cycles in a super wave tank, namely their shift in a determined order. In showing that ideal NLSE breather solutions can describe such dissipative nonlinear dynamics, our results may impact the interpretation of a wide range of new physics scenarios.

Integrable Turbulence and Rogue Waves: Breathers or Solitons?

Turbulence in dynamical systems is one of the most intriguing phenomena of modern science. Integrable systems offer the possibility to understand, to some extent, turbulence. Recent numerical and experimental data suggest that the probability of the appearance of rogue waves in a chaotic wave state in such systems increases when the initial state is a random function of sufficiently high amplitude. We provide explanations for this effect.

Infinite hierarchy of nonlinear Schrödinger equations and their solutions.

We study the infinite integrable nonlinear Schrödinger equation hierarchy beyond the Lakshmanan-Porsezian-Daniel equation which is a particular (fourth-order) case of the hierarchy. In particular, we present the generalized Lax pair and generalized soliton solutions, plane wave solutions, Akhmediev breathers, Kuznetsov-Ma breathers, periodic solutions, and rogue wave solutions for this infinite-order hierarchy. We find that "even- order" equations in the set affect phase and "stretching factors" in the solutions, while "odd-order" equations affect the velocities. Hence odd-order equation solutions can be real functions, while even-order equation solutions are always complex.

Integrable equations of the infinite nonlinear Schrödinger equation hierarchy with time variable coefficients.

We present an infinite nonlinear Schrödinger equation hierarchy of integrable equations, together with the recurrence relations defining it. To demonstrate integrability, we present the Lax pairs for the whole hierarchy, specify its Darboux transformations and provide several examples of solutions. These resulting wavefunctions are given in exact analytical form. We then show that the Lax pair and Darboux transformation formalisms still apply in this scheme when the coefficients in the hierarchy depend on the propagation variable (e.g., time). This extension thus allows for the construction of complicated solutions within a greatly diversified domain of generalised nonlinear systems.

Nonlinear Photonics 2014: introduction.

International Conference "Nonlinear Photonics-2014" took place in Barcelona, Spain on July 27-31, 2014. It was a part of the "Advanced Photonics Congress" which is becoming a traditional notable event in the world of photonics. The current focus issue of Optics Express contains contributions from the participants of the Conference and the Congress. The articles in this focus issue by no means represent the total number of the congress contributions (around 400). However, it demonstrates wide range of topics covered at the event. The next conference of this series is to be held in 2016 in Australia, which is the home of many researchers working in the field of photonics in general and nonlinear photonics in particular.

Breather-to-soliton conversions described by the quintic equation of the nonlinear Schrödinger hierarchy.

We analyze the quintic integrable equation of the nonlinear Schrödinger hierarchy that includes fifth-order dispersion with matching higher-order nonlinear terms. We show that a breather solution of this equation can be converted into a nonpulsating soliton solution on a background. We calculate the locus of the eigenvalues on the complex plane which convert breathers into solitons. This transformation does not have an analog in the standard nonlinear Schrödinger equation. We also study the interaction between the new type of solitons, as well as between breathers and these solitons.

Breather solutions of the integrable quintic nonlinear Schrödinger equation and their interactions.

We present breather solutions of the quintic integrable equation of the Schrödinger hierarchy. This equation has terms describing fifth-order dispersion and matching nonlinear terms. Using a Darboux transformation, we derive first-order and second-order breather solutions. These include first- and second-order rogue-wave solutions. To some extent, these solutions are analogous with the corresponding nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) solutions. However, the presence of a free parameter in the equation results in specific solutions that have no analogues in the NLSE case. We analyze new features of these solutions.

Rogue waves of the Sasa-Satsuma equation in a chaotic wave field.

We study the properties of the chaotic wave fields generated in the frame of the Sasa-Satsuma equation (SSE). Modulation instability results in a chaotic pattern of small-scale filaments with a free parameter-the propagation constant k. The average velocity of the filaments is approximately given by the group velocity calculated from the dispersion relation for the plane-wave solution. Remarkably, our results reveal the reason for the skewed profile of the exact SSE rogue-wave solutions, which was one of their distinctive unexplained features. We have also calculated the probability density functions for various values of the propagation constant k, showing that probability of appearance of rogue waves depends on k.