Transport and generation of macroscopically modulated waves in diatomic chains

TL;DR

This paper analytically derives the dynamics of macroscopically modulated waves in nonlinear diatomic chains, revealing how acoustical waves generate optical waves through self-interaction, with implications for wave behavior in such systems.

Contribution

It provides a rigorous analytical framework for understanding wave modulation and interactions in nonlinear diatomic chains, including wave generation mechanisms.

Findings

Acoustical waves generate optical waves via self-interaction.

Optical waves are closed under self-interaction.

Analytical derivation of wave dynamics in diatomic chains.

Abstract

We derive and justify analytically the dynamics of a small macroscopically modulated amplitude of a single plane wave in a nonlinear diatomic chain with stabilizing on-site potentials including the case where a wave generates another wave via self-interaction. More precisely, we show that in typical chains acoustical waves can generate optical but not acoustical waves, while optical waves are always closed with respect to self-interaction.