Optical Soliton Dynamics and Instabilities in Non-Local Plasma Metamaterials with Saturable Non-Linearities

International Journal of Physics | Vol. 15, No. 8, August 2024 | pp. 57–64

DOI: 10.46882/2024/IJP/000172

Research Article

Title: Optical Soliton Dynamics and Instabilities in Non-Local Plasma Metamaterials with Saturable Non-Linearities

Names of Authors: L. K. Rousseau¹, G. R. Davies²

Authors’ Affiliations:
¹ Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas, École Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France
² School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK

Abstract: Controlling ultra-short laser pulse propagation tracks and eliminating high-power beam filamentation are critical operational tasks when developing plasma diagnostic torches, laser-induced fusion trackers, and specialized fast-switching grids. This study models optical soliton dynamics and characterises modulation instability profiles inside non-local plasma metamaterials exhibiting saturable electronic non-linearities. We solved the generalized non-linear Schrödinger equations including higher-order perturbation corrections, specifically third-order dispersion, self-steepening, and delayed Raman response steps. The numerical simulations used a variational approach paired with split-step Fourier schemes to extract exact single-soliton and breather solutions. The results demonstrate that high spatial non-locality parameters effectively suppress catastrophic self-focusing collapse nodes by smoothing localized wavefront phase errors. The modulation instability growth rate was tracked against changing spatial perturbation frequencies, highlighting a maximum gain coefficient of g = 2.92 cm⁻¹ under an input beam intensity of 2.0 kW/cm². Expanding the non-locality parameter scales down the maximum instability gain by 68.0%, preventing pulse fragmentation across waveguides.

Keywords: Nonlinear optics; spatial solitons; nonlinear Schrödinger equation; modulational instability; non-local media; plasma metamaterials

Manuscript Timeline: Received: May 12, 2024; Revised: July 03, 2024; Accepted: July 25, 2024; Published: August 14, 2024

Citation: Rousseau, L. K., & Davies, G. R. (2024). Optical Soliton Dynamics and Instabilities in Non-Local Plasma Metamaterials with Saturable Non-Linearities. International Journal of Physics, 15(8), 57–64.

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