Statistics of Extreme Events in Integrable Turbulence.

We use the spectral kinetic theory of soliton gas to investigate the likelihood of extreme events in integrable turbulence described by the one-dimensional focusing nonlinear Schrödinger equation (fNLSE). This is done by invoking a stochastic interpretation of the inverse scattering transform for fNLSE and analytically evaluating the kurtosis of the emerging random nonlinear wave field in terms of the spectral density of states of the corresponding soliton gas. We then apply the general result to two fundamental scenarios of the generation of integrable turbulence: (i) the asymptotic development of the spontaneous modulational instability of a plane wave, and (ii) the long-time evolution of strongly nonlinear, partially coherent waves. In both cases, involving the bound state soliton gas dynamics, the analytically obtained values of the kurtosis are in perfect agreement with those inferred from direct numerical simulations of the fNLSE, providing the long-awaited theoretical explanation of the respective rogue wave statistics. Additionally, the evolution of a particular nonbound state gas is considered, providing important insights related to the validity of the so-called virial theorem.

Topological Swing of Bloch Oscillations in Quantum Walks.

We report new oscillations of wave packets in quantum walks subjected to electric fields, that decorate the usual Bloch-Zener oscillations of insulators. The number of turning points (or suboscillations) within one Bloch period of these oscillations is found to be governed by the winding of the quasienergy spectrum. Thus, this provides a new physical manifestation of a topological property of periodically driven systems that can be probed experimentally. Our model, based on an oriented scattering network, is readily implementable in photonic and cold atomic setups.

Extreme rogue wave generation from narrowband partially coherent waves.

In the framework of the focusing one-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equation, we study numerically the integrable turbulence developing from partially coherent waves (PCW), which represent superposition of uncorrelated linear waves. The long-time evolution from these initial conditions is characterized by emergence of rogue waves with heavy-tailed (non-Gaussian) statistics, and, as was established previously, the stronger deviation from Gaussianity (i.e., the higher frequency of rogue waves) is observed for narrower initial spectrum. We investigate the fundamental limiting case of very narrow initial spectrum and find that shortly after the beginning of motion the turbulence enters a quasistationary state (QSS), which is characterized by a very slow evolution of statistics and lasts for a very long time before arrival at the asymptotic stationary state. In the beginning of the QSS, the probability density function (PDF) of intensity turns out to be nearly independent of the initial spectrum and is very well approximated by a certain Bessel function that represents an integral of the product of two exponential distributions. The PDF corresponds to the maximum possible stationary value of the fourth-order moment of amplitude κ_{4}=4 and yields a probability to meet intensity above the rogue wave threshold that is higher by 1.5 orders of magnitude than that for a random superposition of linear waves. We routinely observe rogue waves with amplitudes ten times larger than the average one, and all of the largest waves that we have studied are very well approximated by the amplitude-scaled rational breather solutions of either the first (Peregrine breather) or the second orders.

Influence of third-order dispersion on the propagation of incoherent light in optical fibers.

We study the influence of third-order dispersion effects on the propagation of an incoherent nonlinear wave in an optical fiber system. The wave spectrum is shown to exhibit a highly asymmetric deformation characterized by a lateral spectral shoulder and the subsequent formation of an unexpected constant spectral pedestal. A kinetic approach to the problem reveals the existence of an invariant that explains in detail the essential properties of such asymmetric spectral evolution of the wave.

Self-oscillations in a cascaded Raman laser made with a highly nonlinear photonic crystal fiber.

We report the observation of self-oscillations of the output power in a cascaded Raman fiber laser delivering two Stokes components. Our cascaded Raman fiber laser is made with a highly nonlinear photonic crystal fiber and it oscillates within a Perot-Fabry cavity formed by weak Fresnel reflections from the fiber ends. From our experimental and theoretical study, we identify stimulated Raman scattering as being the physical effect dominant in the emergence of unstable behaviors inside the Perot-Fabry cavity. Mechanisms of laser destabilization are thus found to be very different from polarization mechanisms previously identified as being responsible for unstable behaviors in conventional one-stage Raman fiber lasers [14, 15].

Spontaneous emergence of rogue waves in partially coherent waves: A quantitative experimental comparison between hydrodynamics and optics.

Rogue waves are extreme and rare fluctuations of the wave field that have been discussed in many physical systems. Their presence substantially influences the statistical properties of a partially coherent wave field, i.e., a wave field characterized by a finite band spectrum with random Fourier phases. Their understanding is fundamental for the design of ships and offshore platforms. In many meteorological conditions waves in the ocean are characterized by the so-called Joint North Sea Wave Project (JONSWAP) spectrum. Here we compare two unique experimental results: the first one has been performed in a 270 m wave tank and the other in optical fibers. In both cases, waves characterized by a JONSWAP spectrum and random Fourier phases have been launched at the input of the experimental device. The quantitative comparison, based on an appropriate scaling of the two experiments, shows a very good agreement between the statistics in hydrodynamics and optics. Spontaneous emergence of heavy tails in the probability density function of the wave amplitude is observed in both systems. The results demonstrate the universal features of rogue waves and provide a fundamental and explicit bridge between two important fields of research. Numerical simulations are also compared with experimental results.

Spectral broadening of a multimode continuous-wave optical field propagating in the normal dispersion regime of a fiber.

We investigate experimentally and theoretically the broadening of the optical spectrum of a multimode cw field propagating in the normal dispersion regime of a single-mode fiber. The width of the optical spectrum is not a monotonic function of propagation length. This behavior arising from the interplay between the Kerr effect and group-velocity dispersion contrasts with spectral broadening of mode-locked pulses.