0000000000075580
AUTHOR
Mario Zacarés
Photonic Nambu-Goldstone bosons
We study numerically the spatial dynamics of light in periodic square lattices in the presence of a Kerr term, emphasizing the peculiarities stemming from the nonlinearity. We find that, under rather general circumstances, the phase pattern of the stable ground state depends on the character of the nonlinearity: the phase is spatially uniform if it is defocusing whereas in the focusing case, it presents a chess board pattern, with a difference of $\pi$ between neighboring sites. We show that the lowest lying perturbative excitations can be described as perturbations of the phase and that finite-sized structures can act as tunable metawaveguides for them. The tuning is made by varying the in…
A relevance feedback CBIR algorithm based on fuzzy sets
CBIR (content-based image retrieval) systems attempt to allow users to perform searches in large picture repositories. In most existing CBIR systems, images are represented by vectors of low level features. Searches in these systems are usually based on distance measurements defined in terms of weighted combinations of the low level features. This paper presents a novel approach to combining features when using multi-image queries consisting of positive and negative selections. A fuzzy set is defined so that the degree of membership of each image in the repository to this fuzzy set is related to the user's interest in that image. Positive and negative selections are then used to determine t…
Spatial soliton formation in photonic crystal fibers
We demonstrate the existence of spatial soliton solutions in photonic crystal fibers (PCF's). These guided localized nonlinear waves appear as a result of the balance between the linear and nonlinear diffraction properties of the inhomogeneous photonic crystal cladding. The spatial soliton is realized self-consistently as the fundamental mode of the effective fiber defined simultaneously by the PCF linear and the self-induced nonlinear refractive indices. It is also shown that the photonic crystal cladding is able to stabilize these solutions, which would be unstable otherwise if the medium was entirely homogeneous.
A group-theory method to find stationary states in nonlinear discrete symmetry systems
In the field of nonlinear optics, the self-consistency method has been applied to searching optical solitons in different media. In this paper, we generalize this method to other systems, adapting it to discrete symmetry systems by using group theory arguments. The result is a new technique that incorporates symmetry concepts into the iterative procedure of the self-consistency method, that helps the search of symmetric stationary solutions. An efficient implementation of this technique is also presented, which restricts the computational work to a reduced section of the entire domain and is able to find different types of solutions by specifying their symmetry properties. As a practical ap…
Ansatz-independent solution of a soliton in a strong dispersion-management system
We introduce a theoretical approach to the study of propagation in systems with periodic strong-management dispersion. Our approach does not assume any ansatz about the form of the solution nor does it make use of any average procedure. We find an explicit solution for the pulse evolution in the fast dynamics regime (distances smaller than the dispersion period). We also establish the equation of motion governing the slow dynamics of an arbitrary pulse and prove that the pulse evolution is nonlinear and Hamiltonian. We solve this equation and find that a nonlinear solitonlike solution occurs self-consistently in the form of an asymptotic stationary eigenfunction of the Hamiltonian.
Supersolid Behavior of Light
We will show how light can form stationary structures on dielectric periodic media such that their dynamics present simultaneous features of spatial long range order and superfluidity. This phenomenon is normally referred to as supersolidity.
Topological charge selection rule for phase singularities
We present a study of the dynamics and decay pattern of phase singularities due to the action of a system with a discrete rotational symmetry of finite order. A topological charge conservation rule is identified. The role played by the underlying symmetry is emphasized. An effective model describing the short range dynamics of the vortex clusters has been designed. A method to engineer any desired configuration of clusters of phase singularities is proposed. Its flexibility to create and control clusters of vortices is discussed.
A topological charge selection rule for phase singularities
We present a study of the dynamics and decay pattern of phase singularities due to the action of a system with a discrete rotational symmetry of finite order. A topological charge conservation rule is identified.
Vortex replication in Bose-Einstein condensates trapped in double-well potentials
In this work we demonstrate, by means of numerical simulations, the possibility of replicating matter-wave vortices in a Bose-Einstein condensate trapped in a double-well potential. The most remarkable result is the generation of replicas of an initial vortex state located in one side of the double potential, which evolves into two copies, each one located in one of the potential minima. A simple linear theory gives the basic explanation of the phenomenon and predicts experimental realistic conditions for observation. A complementary strategy of easy experimental implementation to dramatically decrease the replication time is presented and numerically tested for the general case of nonlinea…
Symmetry, winding number, and topological charge of vortex solitons in discrete-symmetry media
[EN] We determine the functional behavior near the discrete rotational symmetry axis of discrete vortices of the nonlinear Schrodinger equation. We show that these solutions present a central phase singularity whose charge is restricted by symmetry arguments. Consequently, we demonstrate that the existence of high-charged discrete vortices is related to the presence of other off-axis phase singularities, whose positions and charges are also restricted by symmetry arguments. To illustrate our theoretical results, we offer two numerical examples of high-charged discrete vortices in photonic crystal fibers showing hexagonal discrete rotational invariance
Ansatz independent solution of a soliton in a strong dispersion-management system
We introduce a theoretical approach to the study of propagation in systems with periodic strongmanagement dispersion. Our approach does not assume any ansatz about the form of the solution nor does it make use of any average procedure. We find an explicit solution for the pulse evolution in the fast dynamics regime ~distances smaller than the dispersion period!. We also establish the equation of motion governing the slow dynamics of an arbitrary pulse and prove that the pulse evolution is nonlinear and Hamiltonian. We solve this equation and find that a nonlinear solitonlike solution occurs self-consistently in the form of an asymptotic stationary eigenfunction of the Hamiltonian.
Forward-backward equations for nonlinear propagation in axially invariant optical systems
We present a novel general framework to deal with forward and backward components of the electromagnetic field in axially-invariant nonlinear optical systems, which include those having any type of linear or nonlinear transverse inhomogeneities. With a minimum amount of approximations, we obtain a system of two first-order equations for forward and backward components explicitly showing the nonlinear couplings among them. The modal approach used allows for an effective reduction of the dimensionality of the original problem from 3+1 (three spatial dimensions plus one time dimension) to 1+1 (one spatial dimension plus one frequency dimension). The new equations can be written in a spinor Dir…
Self-Trapped Localized Modes in Photonic Crystal Fibers
We demonstrate the existence of self-trapped localized modes in photonic crystal fibers. We analyze these solutions in terms of the parameters of the photonic crystal cladding and the nonlinear coupling.
Soliplasmon excitations at metal/dielectric/Kerr structures
We present novel optical phenomena based on the existence of a new type of quasi-particle excitation in metal/dielectric/Kerr structures. We discuss the possibility of excitation of surface plasmon polaritons via spatial solitons in these systems.
Nodal solitons and the nonlinear breaking of discrete symmetry
We present a new type of soliton solutions in nonlinear photonic systems with discrete point-symmetry. These solitons have their origin in a novel mechanism of breaking of discrete symmetry by the presence of nonlinearities. These so-called nodal solitons are characterized by nodal lines determined by the discrete symmetry of the system. Our physical realization of such a system is a 2D nonlinear photonic crystal fiber owning C6v symmetry.
Comparison between the energy performance of a ground coupled water to water heat pump system and an air to water heat pump system for heating and cooling in typical conditions of the European Mediterranean coast
Abstract The investigation presented in this article was aimed at demonstrating the technical and economical feasibility of using ground source heat pump systems in mixed climate applications, where cooling requirements are dominant. We show an experimental comparison between a ground coupled heat pump system and a conventional air to water heat pump system, focussing at the heating and cooling energy performance. A direct comparison could be made as both systems are linked, in parallel, to the same building with exactly the same loads and climatic conditions. For a whole climatic season the results obtained show that the geothermal system saves, in terms of primary energy consumption, a 43…
Vortex solitons in photonic crystal fibers
We demonstrate the existence of vortex soliton solutions in photonic crystal fibers. We analyze the role played by the photonic crystal fiber defect in the generation of optical vortices. An analytical prediction for the angular dependence of the amplitude and phase of the vortex solution based on group theory is also provided. Furthermore, all the analysis is performed in the non-paraxial regime.
Vorticity cutoff in nonlinear photonic crystals
Using group theory arguments, we demonstrate that, unlike in homogeneous media, no symmetric vortices of arbitrary order can be generated in two-dimensional (2D) nonlinear systems possessing a discrete-point symmetry. The only condition needed is that the non-linearity term exclusively depends on the modulus of the field. In the particular case of 2D periodic systems, such as nonlinear photonic crystals or Bose-Einstein condensates in periodic potentials, it is shown that the realization of discrete symmetry forbids the existence of symmetric vortex solutions with vorticity higher than two.
Angular Pseudomomentum Theory for the Generalized Nonlinear Schr\"{o}dinger Equation in Discrete Rotational Symmetry Media
We develop a complete mathematical theory for the symmetrical solutions of the generalized nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation based on the new concept of angular pseudomomentum. We consider the symmetric solitons of a generalized nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation with a nonlinearity depending on the modulus of the field. We provide a rigorous proof of a set of mathematical results justifying that these solitons can be classified according to the irreducible representations of a discrete group. Then we extend this theory to non-stationary solutions and study the relationship between angular momentum and pseudomomentum. We illustrate these theoretical results with numerical examples. Finally, we…