Slowing probe and conjugate pulses in potassium vapor using four wave mixing.

We present an experimental study on ultraslow propagation of matched optical pulses in nondegenerate four wave mixing (FWM) in hot potassium vapor. The main figures of merit, i.e. fractional delay and fractional broadening, are determined to be 1.1 and 1.2, respectively. The latter two are approximately constant for the broad range of the two photon detuning. Input probe pulses between 20 ns and 120 ns can be delayed within broad range of the gain. The results are compared with the preceding works for Rb and Na.

Enhancement of electromagnetically induced absorption with elliptically polarized light--laser intensity dependent coherence effect.

Using the (2)S(1/2)F(g) = 2 --> (2)P(3/2)F(e) = 3 transition in (87)Rb vapor at room temperature, we study effect of the laser light polarization on the electromagnetically induced absorption (EIA). This work extends the recent study of the behavior of the EIA as a function of the laser ellipticity (Brazhnikov et. al., JETP Lett. 83, 64, 2006). We have shown that such behavior strongly depends on the laser power. For the low laser power EIA amplitude has maximum for linearly polarized light, while for high laser power elliptically polarized light of ellipticity 15-20 degrees generates maximum of the EIA amplitude. EIA width varies slowly with the laser ellipticity at lower laser power, and much stronger at higher laser power. Through our theoretical model we attributed observed results to combined effect of the laser ellipticity and power on the population of ground state Zeeman sublevels.

On non-vanishing amplitude of Hanle electromagnetically induced absorption in Rb.

Amplitude and linewidts of the Hanle EIA, obtained from transmission of the laser locked to closed F(g) ? F(e) = F(g) +1 transitions in (85)Rb and(87)Rb, have maximum values at few mW/cm2. Amplitude of the EIA reaches steady value different from zero for higher laser intensities, even for laser intensities of 40 mW/cm(2). Theoretical model of EIA, for the same atomic system as in the experiment, show that the laser intensity, at which maximum of amplitudes and widths occur, depends on the laser detuning. For smaller laser detuning of a few tens of MHz, EIA has a maximum and then vanishes at higher laser intensities. For larger laser detuning of the order of hundreds MHz (but still in the range of Doppler broadening) amplitude of the EIA has very broad maximum and remains above zero for intensities above 40 mW/cm(2). Such theoretical results indicate that Hanle absorption peak remains in the experimental results, regardless of the laser intensities, due to Doppler effect.

Simulation study of granular compaction dynamics under vertical tapping.

We study, by numerical simulation, the compaction dynamics of frictional hard disks in two dimensions, subjected to vertical shaking. Shaking is modeled by a series of vertical expansion of the disk packing, followed by dynamical recompression of the assembly under the action of gravity. The second phase of the shake cycle is based on an efficient event-driven molecular-dynamics algorithm. We analyze the compaction dynamics for various values of friction coefficient and coefficient of normal restitution. We find that the time evolution of the density is described by rho(t)=rho{infinity}-DeltarhoE{alpha}[-(ttau){alpha}], where E{alpha} denotes the Mittag-Leffler function of order 0

Counterpropagating self-trapped beams in optical photonic lattices.

Dynamical properties of counterpropagating (CP) mutually incoherent self-trapped beams in optically induced photonic lattices are investigated numerically. A local model with saturable Kerr-like nonlinearity is adopted for the photorefractive media, and an optically generated two-dimensional fixed photonic lattice introduced in the crystal. Different incident beam structures are considered, such as Gaussians and vortices of different topological charge. We observe spontaneous symmetry breaking of the head-on propagating Gaussian beams as the coupling strength is increased, resulting in the splitup transition of CP components. We see discrete diffraction, leading to the formation of discrete CP vector solitons. In the case of vortices, we find beam filamentation, as well as increased stability of the central vortex ring. A strong pinning of filaments to the lattice sites is noted. The angular momentum of vortices is not conserved, either along the propagation direction or in time, and, unlike the case without lattice, the rotation of filaments is not as readily observed.

Spatiotemporal optical instabilities in nematic solitons.

We investigate numerically the propagation of self-trapped optical beams in nematic liquid crystals. Our analysis includes both spatial and temporal behavior. We display the formation of stable solitons in a narrow threshold region of beam intensities for fixed birefringence, and depict their spatiotemporal instabilities as the input intensity and the birefringence are increased. We demonstrate the breathing and filamentation of solitons above the threshold with increasing input intensity, and discover a convective instability with increasing birefringence. We consider the propagation of complex beam structures in nematic liquid crystals, such as dipoles, beam arrays, and vortices.

Counterpropagating optical vortices in photorefractive crystals.

We present a comprehensive numerical study of (2+1)D counterpropagating incoherent vortices in photorefractive crystals, in both space and time. We consider a local isotropic dynamical model with Kerr-type saturable nonlinearity, and identify the corresponding conserved quantities. We show, both analytically and numerically, that stable beam structures conserve angular momentum, as long as their stability is preserved. As soon as the beams loose stability, owing to radiation or non-elastic collisions, their angular momentum becomes non-conserved. We discover novel types of rotating beam structures that have no counterparts in the copropagating geometry. We consider the counterpropagation of more complex beam arrangements, such as regular arrays of vortices. We follow the transition from a few beam propagation behavior to the transverse pattern formation dynamics.

Transverse modulational instabilities of counterpropagating solitons in photorefractive crystals.

We study numerically the counterpropagating vector solitons in SBN:60 photorefractive crystals. A simple theory is provided for explaining the symmetry-breaking transverse instability of these solitons. Phase diagram is produced that depicts the transition from stable counterpropagating solitons to bidirectional waveguides to unstable optical structures. Numerical simulations are performed that predict novel dynamical beam structures, such as the standing-wave and rotating multipole vector solitonic clusters. For larger coupling strengths and/or thicker crystals the beams form unstable self-trapped optical structures that have no counterparts in the copropagating geometry.

Transport theory of granular swarms.

The transport of trace granular gas (swarm) in a carrier granular fluid is studied by means of the Boltzmann-Lorentz kinetic equation. Time-dependent perturbation theory is used to follow the evolution of the granular swarm from an arbitrary initial distribution. A nonhydrodynamic extension of the diffusion equation is derived, with transport coefficients that are time dependent and implicitly depend on the wave vector. Transport coefficients of any order are obtained as velocity moments of the solutions of the corresponding kinetic equations derived from the Boltzmann-Lorentz equation. For the special case of the initial distribution of swarm particles, transport coefficients are identified as time derivatives of the moments of the number density. Finally the granular particle transport theory is extended by the introduction of the concept of non-particle-conserving collisions.