Waveguide arrays with spatially inhomogeneous nonlinearity

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Detlef Kip
• Subject Area: Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
• Term: from 2014 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 268212581

In this research project we will investigate optical wave propagation in one-dimensional photonic lattices (waveguide arrays) having an inhomogeneous or modulated distribution of the effective nonlinearity. Although a large number of theoretical works have been recently published, motivated by the close analogies to other wave systems like e.g. ultra-cold quantum gases, in fact no experimental investigation of this attractive direction has been performed so far, simply because a suitable experimental model system was missing. In photorefractive lithium niobate waveguide arrays we can use local diffusion treatment to modify the size of the nonlinearity on the spatial scale of single channels. In such systems we plan to investigate experimentally nonlinear wave phenomena like instabilities, Bloch oscillations, Fano resonances or the existence of different kinds of solitons, supported by theoretical modelling and simulations of these effects.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants