Ultra-narrow Bright Spatial Solitons Interacting with Left-handed Surfaces

TL;DR

This paper uses a vectorial FDTD method to numerically investigate ultra-narrow spatial solitons interacting with left-handed surfaces, revealing dynamic behaviors of surface modes influenced by nonlinear and linear conditions.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive FDTD simulation approach to study the creation and evolution of linear and nonlinear surface modes on left-handed materials, demonstrating their complex dynamics.

Findings

Surface modes can move backwards or forwards depending on nonlinear conditions.

FDTD method effectively tracks the development of surface solitons over time.

Surface mode behavior is highly sensitive to initial launching conditions.

Abstract

A vectorial FDTD method is used to present a numerical study of very narrow spatial solitons interacting with the surface of what has become known as a left-handed medium. After a comprehensive discussion of the background and the family of surface modes to be expected on a left-handed material, bounded by dispersion-free right-handed material, it is demonstrated that robust outcomes of the FDTD approach yield dramatic confirmation of these waves. The FDTD results show how the linear and nonlinear surface modes are created and can be tracked in time as they develop. It is shown how they can move backwards, or forwards, depending either upon a critical value of the local nonlinear conditions at the interface, or the ambient linear conditions. Several examples are given to demonstrate the power and versatility of the method, and the sensitivity to the launching conditions.