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Journal of Modern Optics

Special Foundation Lecture: a personal view

R. Bullough

Published Sep 1, 2000• 10 citations
Publisher

Abstract

I (try to) review some of my work in theoretical quantum optics done over some 45 years. Highlights include discovery of ‚optical solitons‘ as solutions to the nonlinear Maxwell-Bloch (MB) systems of equations as reported at the 1st National QE Conference, also at Owens Park, Manchester, in 1973. Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) in magnetic traps at temperatures T ∼ 10−9K achieved in 1995 is described by forms of the quantum nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation closely related to the quantized MB equations. It may be possible to see quantum soliton solutions of the quantum attractive NLS equation in one-dimensional (d = 1) magnetic traps holding the Bose condensed metal vapour 7Li. More generally such d = 1 quantum solitons may be significant to modern long-distance optical fibre communication, and perhaps to ‚quantum information‘.

DOI
10.1080/09500340008232455

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We return to the notion of optical solitons as these were first introduced—namely as exact soliton and multi-soliton solutions of the semi-classical self-induced transparency (SIT) equations. The SIT equations, even in their most general inhomogeneously broadened forms, are infinite dimensional, completely integrable Hamiltonian systems, and thus display much mathematical structure, yet their exact soliton solutions display well the nonlinear (self-induced) transparency features of the physical phenomenon. The mathematical feature of complete integrability is handed down from the SIT equations to the nonlinear Schrödinger equations and from this point of view the nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equations equations are studied first of all at classical level and then at quantum level. The ‘quantum soliton’ of the quantum attractive NLS model is defined and its properties investigated in detail, particularly in a comparison with the particular properties ascribed to the ‘quantum soliton’ as described in a recently published article (Abraham 1999 Phys. World (February) 21) with this title; as suggested in that article, the quantum NLS soliton is seen as a qubit for quantum information purposes. The covariant form of the quantum attractive NLS model is the quantum sine-Gordon model and this is briefly studied in the context of quantum information also; new results for large area Josephson junctions are reported in this context. The quantum soliton of the one dimensional attractive NLS model has apparently been observed in 2002 in a Bose condensed metal vapour ( 7 Li, (Khaykovich et al 2002 Science 296 1290)) and a detailed calculation suggests that the condensate undergoes a ‘collapse’ from three to one space dimensions thus forming an exact soliton solution of the one dimensional quantum attractive NLS model.
A briefly formulated update of the recently published review [B.A. Malomed, Multidimensional soliton systems. Adv. Phys. 9(1) (2024), pp. 2301592] on the topic of multidimensional solitons (chiefly, in nonlinear optics and atomic Bose–Einstein condensates (BECs)) is presented. The update briefly summarizes some notable results on this topic that have been reported very recently, and offers a compact outline of the directions of the current experiment and theoretical work in this and related fields. In particular, as concerns newest experimental findings, included are the creation of multiple quantum droplets in prolate BEC, and the observation of expanding toroidal light structures in linear optics. The update of theoretical results includes the analysis of 2D solitons in the optical system with the quadratic nonlinearity and fractional diffraction, and the prediction of stable 3D vortex solitons in various BEC schemes with long-range interactions.
A briefly formulated update of the recently published review [1] on the topic of multidimensional solitons (chiefly, in nonlinear optics and atomic Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs)) is presented. The update briefly summarizes some notable results on this topic that have been reported very recently, and offers a compact outline of the directions of the current experiment and theoretical work in this and related fields. In particular, as concerns newest experimental findings, included are the creation of multiple quantum droplets in prolate BEC, and the observation of expanding toroidal light structures in linear optics. The update of theoretical results includes the analysis of 2D solitons in the optical system with the quadratic nonlinearity and fractional diffraction, and the prediction of stable 3D vortex solitons in various BEC schemes with long-range interactions.
A briefly formulated update of the recently published review [1] on the topic of multidimensional solitons (chiefly, in nonlinear optics and atomic Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs)) is presented. The update briefly summarizes some notable results on this topic that have been reported very recently, and offers a compact outline of the directions of the current experiment and theoretical work in this and related fields. In particular, as concerns newest experimental findings, included are the creation of multiple _quantum droplets_ in prolate BEC, and the observation of expanding toroidal light structures in linear optics. The update of theoretical results includes the analysis of 2D solitons in the optical system with the quadratic nonlinearity and _fractional diffraction_, and the prediction of stable 3D _vortex solitons_ in various BEC schemes with long-range interactions.