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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Using Microwave and Macroscopic Samples of Dielectric Solids to Study the Photonic Properties of Disordered Photonic Bandgap Materials
10:35

Using Microwave and Macroscopic Samples of Dielectric Solids to Study the Photonic Properties of Disordered Photonic Bandgap Materials

Published on: September 26, 2014

Nonlinear wave-packet dynamics in a disordered medium.

G Schwiete1, A M Finkel'stein

  • 1Department of Physics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-4242, USA. schwiete@physics.tamu.edu

Physical Review Letters
|April 7, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

We developed a theory for pulse propagation in disordered nonlinear media, revealing novel "locked explosion" and diffusive collapse phenomena. This nonlinear diffusion equation applies to laser beams and Bose-Einstein condensates in disordered systems.

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Last Updated: Jun 14, 2026

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Area of Science:

  • Nonlinear physics
  • Condensed matter physics
  • Wave propagation

Background:

  • Pulse propagation in nonlinear and disordered media is complex.
  • Understanding these dynamics is crucial for applications in optics and quantum systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop an effective theory for pulse propagation in two-dimensional nonlinear and disordered media.
  • To identify and describe novel phenomena arising from the interplay of nonlinearity and disorder.

Main Methods:

  • Formulation of a nonlinear diffusion equation.
  • Theoretical analysis of the equation's solutions.

Main Results:

  • The nonlinear diffusion equation effectively models pulse propagation.
  • Novel phenomena termed "locked explosion" and "diffusive collapse" were identified.
  • The theory predicts distinct behaviors in different physical systems.

Conclusions:

  • The developed theory provides a unified framework for understanding pulse propagation in complex media.
  • The identified phenomena have implications for laser beam dynamics and Bose-Einstein condensate behavior in disordered environments.