Comment on "Spatial optical solitons in highly nonlocal media" and related papers

TL;DR

This paper critiques recent studies on spatial optical solitons in highly nonlocal media, highlighting inaccuracies in the accessible soliton approximation and emphasizing the need for more precise models.

Contribution

It clarifies the limitations of the accessible soliton approximation and corrects previous misconceptions in the field of spatial soliton research.

Findings

Accessible soliton theory is inaccurate for highly nonlocal media

Previous results on soliton shape and dynamics are incorrect

Correct models have been established by other researchers

Abstract

In a recent paper [A. Alberucci, C. Jisha, N. Smyth, and G. Assanto, Phys. Rev. A 91, 013841 (2015)], Alberucci et al. have studied the propagation of bright spatial solitary waves in highly nonlocal media. We find that the main results in that and related papers, concerning soliton shape and dynamics, based on the accessible soliton (AS) approximation, are incorrect; the correct results have already been published by others. These and other inconsistencies in the paper follow from the problems in applying the AS approximation in earlier papers by the group that propagated to the later papers. The accessible soliton theory cannot describe accurately the features and dynamics of solitons in highly nonlocal media.