Disorder-induced light trapping enhanced by pulse collisions in one-dimensional nonlinear photonic crystals

Abstract

We use numerical simulations to study interaction of co-and counter-propagating pulses in disordered multilayers with noninstantaneous Kerr nonlinearity. We propose a statistical argument for existence of the disorder-induced trapping which implies the dramatic rise of the probability of realization with low output energy in the structure with a certain level of disorder. This effect is much more pronounced in the case of two interacting pulses than in the single-pulse regime and does not occur in the strictly ordered system at the same intensity of the pulses. Therefore it cannot be explained simply as a result of increase in strength of nonlinear light-matter interaction.

Disordered resonant media: Self-induced transparency versus light localization

“…Except for localization, a variety of effects reported includes "locked explosion" and diffusive collapse of wave packets in two-dimensional nonlinear disordered media [9], nonreciprocity due to ultrafast nonlinear dynamics [10], persistence of chaotic dynamics [11] and unusual wave spreading regimes of flat band states in the presence of nonlinearity [12], formation of soliton-like states in random media [13], etc. We should also note our previous papers [14,15], where self-trapping of ultrashort pulses in one-dimensional disordered photonic crystals with relaxing cubic nonlinearity was studied.…”