Work

Spontaneous symmetry breaking in nonlinear binary periodic systems

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) occurs when modes of asymmetric profile appear in a symmetric, double-well potential, due to the nonlinearity of the potential exceeding a critical value. In this study, we examine SSB in a periodic potential where the unit cell itself is a symmetric double well, in both one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) periodic systems. Using the tight-binding model, we derive the analytical form that predicts the critical power at which SSB occurs for both 1D and 2D systems. The results show that the critical power depends significantly on the quasimomentum of the Bloch mode, and as the modulus of momentum increases, the SSB threshold decreases rapidly, potentially dropping to zero. These analytical findings are supported by numerical nonlinear eigenmode analysis and direct propagation simulations of Bloch modes.

Source: Physical Review A

DOI: 10.1103/physreva.110.043513

Authors: Ruihan Peng, Qidong Fu, Yejia Chen, Weidong Luo, Changming Huang, Fangwei Ye

Institutions: Shanghai Jiao Tong University, State Key Laboratory of Advanced Optical Communication Systems and Networks, State Key Laboratory of Advanced Optical Communication Systems and Networks, Changzhi University

Language: English

Topic: Nonlinear Photonic Systems

Subfield: Statistical and Nonlinear Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation

Awards: G3671935819, G3772202100, G7640528220, G7786126502