Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 26, 2026
13:39
Optical Trapping of Nanoparticles
Published on: January 15, 2013
Transfer and scattering of wave packets by a nonlinear trap
Kai Li1, P G Kevrekidis, Boris A Malomed
1Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003-9305, USA.
Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|December 21, 2011
Summary
This study explores using nonlinear tweezers to move localized wave structures. Researchers identified stability limits and quantified wave scattering, demonstrating controlled transport of nonlinear modes.
Area of Science:
- Nonlinear physics
- Wave phenomena
- Mathematical modeling
Background:
- Localized nonlinearities can trap and influence wave propagation.
- Controlling the movement of these trapped structures is a key challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the formation and transfer of trapped modes using nonlinear tweezers.
- To analyze the scattering of linear wave packets by localized nonlinearities.
- To determine the stability of dragged modes and quantify scattering components.
Main Methods:
- One-dimensional model with self-attractive nonlinearity.
- Analytical estimates and systematic numerical simulations.
- Analysis of scattering problems involving wave fields.
Main Results:
- Nonlinear tweezers enable targeted transfer of trapped structures without surrounding radiation.
- A stability border for dragged modes was identified.
- Quantified proportions of trapped, reflected, and transmitted wave fields during scattering.
- Considered quasi-Airy modes dragged by accelerating nonlinear traps.
Conclusions:
- Nonlinear tweezers offer a method for controlled manipulation of localized nonlinear wave structures.
- The study provides insights into the stability and scattering dynamics of these modes.
- Potential applications in manipulating coherent wave packets and localized structures.
Related Concept Videos
01:07Propagation of Waves
When a wave propagates from one medium to another, part of it may get reflected in the first medium, and part of it may get transmitted to the second medium. In such a case, the interface of the two mediums can be considered as a boundary that is neither fixed nor free.
Consider a scenario where a wave propagates from a string of low linear mass density to a string of high linear mass density. In such a case, the reflected wave is out of phase with respect to the incident wave, however the...
Consider a scenario where a wave propagates from a string of low linear mass density to a string of high linear mass density. In such a case, the reflected wave is out of phase with respect to the incident wave, however the...
01:28Standing Waves in a Cavity
A household microwave and lasers are examples of standing electromagnetic waves in a cavity. When two conducting metal plates are placed parallel at the nodal planes, it creates a cavity where standing waves are formed. The cavity between the two planes is analogous to a stretched string held at the points x = 0 and x = L. Here, the distance 'L' between the two planes must be an integer multiple of half of the wavelength. The wavelengths that satisfy this condition are given by:
02:18Interference and Diffraction
Interference is a characteristic phenomenon exhibited by waves. When two electromagnetic waves interact with their peaks and troughs coinciding, a resulting wave with enhanced amplitude is produced. This is known as constructive interference. In this case, the two waves interacting are in phase with each other.
01:22Carrier Generation and Recombination
Carrier generation is the process by which electron-hole pairs (EHPs) are created within the semiconductor. In direct-bandgap semiconductors, such as gallium arsenide (GaAs), this occurs efficiently when energy absorption prompts valence electrons to leap into the conduction band, leaving behind holes.
This process is given by the generation rate G and is efficient due to the conservation of momentum between the valence band maximum and conduction band minimum.
Indirect generation involves an...
This process is given by the generation rate G and is efficient due to the conservation of momentum between the valence band maximum and conduction band minimum.
Indirect generation involves an...
02:32The de Broglie Wavelength
In the macroscopic world, objects that are large enough to be seen by the naked eye follow the rules of classical physics. A billiard ball moving on a table will behave like a particle; it will continue traveling in a straight line unless it collides with another ball, or it is acted on by some other force, such as friction. The ball has a well-defined position and velocity or well-defined momentum, p = mv, which is defined by mass m and velocity v at any given moment. This is the typical...
01:07Interference and Superposition of Waves
When two waves of the same nature occur in the same region simultaneously, they result in interference. Interference of waves implies that the net effect of the waves is the sum of the individual waves' effects. However, it does not imply that the individual waves affect the propagation of other waves.
Interference occurs in mechanical waves, such as sound waves, waves on a string, and surface water waves. Mechanical waves correspond to the physical displacement of particles. Hence,...
Interference occurs in mechanical waves, such as sound waves, waves on a string, and surface water waves. Mechanical waves correspond to the physical displacement of particles. Hence,...