Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: We report optical experiments allowing us to investigate integrable turbulence in the focusing regime of the one-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equation (1D NLSE). In analogy with broad spectrum excitation of a one-dimensional water tank, we launch random initial waves in a single mode optical fiber. Using an original optical sampling setup, we measure precisely the probability density function of optical power of the partially coherent waves rapidly fluctuating with time. The probability density function is found to evolve from the normal law to a strong heavy-tailed distribution, thus revealing the formation of rogue waves in integrable turbulence. Numerical simulations of 1D NLSE with stochastic initial conditions quantitatively reproduce the experiments. Our numerical investigations suggest that the statistical features experimentally observed rely on the stochastic generation of coherent analytic solutions of 1D NLSE.
Source: Physical Review Letters
Authors: Pierre Walczak, Stéphane Randoux, Pierre Suret
Language: English
Topic: Nonlinear Waves and Solitons
Subfield: Statistical and Nonlinear Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Agence Nationale de la Recherche
OpenAlex ID: W2293614511