Nonlinear diffusion and beam self-trapping in diffraction-managed waveguide arrays

Abstract

We study nonlinear propagation of light in diffraction-managed photonic lattices created by periodically-curved arrays of optical waveguides. We identify different regimes of the nonlinear propagation of light in such structures depending on the input power. We start from the regime of self-collimation at low powers and demonstrate that, as the beam power increases, nonlinearity destroys the beam self-imaging and leads to nonlinear diffusion. At higher powers, we observe a sharp transition to the self-trapping and the formation of discrete diffraction-managed solitons.