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Stimulated Stokes and Antistokes Raman Scattering in Microspherical Whispering Gallery Mode Resonators
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Optical shock waves in nonlinear dispersive amplifying media.

D N Christodoulides, M I Carvalho

    Optics Letters
    |October 16, 2009
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Optical shock-wave solutions are achievable in nonlinear amplifying media with frequency-dependent gain and loss. These phenomena occur at the lasing threshold in both normal and anomalous dispersion regions.

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    Area of Science:

    • Nonlinear optics
    • Wave propagation
    • Laser physics

    Background:

    • Nonlinear dispersive media support complex wave phenomena.
    • Understanding optical shock waves is crucial for advanced optics.
    • Frequency-dependent gain and loss influence wave dynamics.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To demonstrate the existence of optical shock-wave solutions.
    • To investigate the conditions for their formation in amplifying media.
    • To explore their behavior in different dispersive regimes.

    Main Methods:

    • Theoretical analysis of nonlinear wave equations.
    • Modeling of media with frequency-dependent gain and loss.
    • Examination of solutions at the lasing threshold.

    Main Results:

    • Optical shock-wave solutions are shown to be possible.
    • These solutions exist in media with frequency-dependent gain and background loss.
    • Shock-wave domains are found at the lasing threshold.

    Conclusions:

    • The existence of optical shock waves is confirmed in specific nonlinear amplifying media.
    • These waves are permitted in both normal and anomalous dispersion regimes.
    • The findings expand the understanding of wave phenomena in optical systems.