Dynamics of surface solitons at the edge of chirped optical lattices

Abstract

We address soliton formation at the edge of chirped optical lattices imprinted in Kerr-type nonlinear media. We find families of power thresholdless surface waves that do not exist at other types of lattice interfaces. Such solitons form due to combined action of internal reflection at the interface, distributed Bragg-type reflection, and focusing nonlinearity. Remarkably, we discover that surfaces of chirped lattices are soliton attractors: Below an energy threshold, solitons launched well within the lattice self-bend toward the interface, and then stick to it.

13 pages, 4 figures