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We develop stability analysis for matter-wave solitons in a two-dimensional (2D) Bose–Einstein condensate loaded in an optical lattice (OL), to which periodic time modulation is applied, in different forms. The stability is studied by dint of the variational approximation and systematic simulations. For solitons in the semi-infinite gap, well-defined stability patterns are produced under the action of the attractive nonlinearity, clearly exhibiting the presence of resonance frequencies. The analysis is reported for several time-modulation formats, including the case of in-phase modulations of both quasi-1D sublattices, which build the 2D square-shaped OL, and setups with asynchronous modulation of the sublattices. In particular, when the modulations of two sublattices are phase-shifted by $$\delta =\pi /2$$ , the stability map is not improved, as the originally well-structured stability pattern becomes fuzzy and the stability at high modulation frequencies is considerably reduced. Mixed results are obtained for anti-phase modulations of the sublattices ( $$\delta =\pi $$ ), where extended stability regions are found for low modulation frequencies, but for high frequencies the stability is weakened. The analysis is also performed in the case of the repulsive nonlinearity, for solitons in the first finite bandgap. It is concluded that, even though stability regions may be found, distinct stability boundaries for the gap solitons cannot be identified clearly. Finally, the stability is also explored for vortex solitons of both the “square-shaped” and “rhombic” types (i.e., off- and on-site-centered ones).

We report results of systematic analysis of various modes in the flatband lattice, based on the diamond-chain model with the on-site cubic nonlinearity, and its double version with the linear on-site mixing between the two lattice fields. In the single-chain system, a full analysis is presented, first, for the single nonlinear cell, making it possible to find all stationary states, viz., antisymmetric, symmetric, and asymmetric ones, including an exactly investigated symmetry-breaking bifurcation of the subcritical type. In the nonlinear infinite single-component chain, compact localized states (CLSs) are found in an exact form too, as an extension of known compact eigenstates of the linear diamond chain. Their stability is studied by means of analytical and numerical methods, revealing a nontrivial stability boundary. In addition to the CLSs, various species of extended states and exponentially localized lattice solitons of symmetric and asymmetric types are studied too, by means of numerical calculations and variational approximation. As a result, existence and stability areas are identified for these modes. Finally, the linear version of the double diamond chain is solved in an exact form, producing two split flatbands in the system's spectrum., Phys. Rev E, in press

We report results of the analysis of the spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) in the basic (actually, simplest) model which is capable to produce the SSB phenomenology in the one-dimensional setting. It is based on the Gross-Pitaevskii - nonlinear Schroedinger equation with the cubic self-attractive term and a double-well-potential built as an infinitely deep potential box split by a narrow (delta-functional) barrier. The barrier's strength, epsilon, is the single free parameter of the scaled form of the model. It may be implemented in atomic Bose-Einstein condensates and nonlinear optics. The SSB bifurcation of the symmetric ground state (GS) is predicted analytically in two limit cases, viz., for deep or weak splitting of the potential box by the barrier. For the generic case, a variational approximation (VA) is elaborated. The analytical findings are presented along with systematic numerical results. Stability of stationary states is studied through the calculation of eigenvalues for small perturbations, and by means of direct simulations. The GS always undergoes the SSB bifurcation of the supercritical type, as predicted by the VA at moderate values of epsilon, although the VA fails at small epsilon, due to inapplicability of the underlying ansatz in that case. However, the latter case is correctly treated by the approximation based on a soliton ansatz. On top of the GS, the first and second excited states are studied too. The antisymmetric mode (the first excited state) is destabilized at a critical value of its norm. The second excited state undergoes the SSB bifurcation, like the GS, but, unlike it, the bifurcation produces an unstable asymmetric mode. All unstable modes tend to spontaneously reshape into the asymmetric GS., Physical Review E, in press

We investigate competition between two phase transitions of the second kind induced by the self-attractive nonlinearity, viz., self-trapping of the leaky modes, and spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) of both fully trapped and leaky states. We use a one-dimensional mean-field model, which combines the cubic nonlinearity and a double-well-potential (DWP) structure with an elevated floor, which supports leaky modes (quasi-bound states) in the linear limit. The setting can be implemented in nonlinear optics and BEC. The order in which the SSB and self-trapping transitions take place with the growth of the nonlinearity strength depends on the height of the central barrier of the DWP: the SSB happens first if the barrier is relatively high, while self-trapping comes first if the barrier is lower. The SSB of the leaky modes is characterized by specific asymmetry of their radiation tails, which, in addition, feature a resonant dependence on the relation between the total size of the system and radiation wavelength. As a result of the SSB, the instability of symmetric modes initiates spontaneous Josephson oscillations. Collisions of freely moving solitons with the DWP structure admit trapping of an incident soliton into a state of persistent shuttle motion, due to emission of radiation. The study is carried out numerically, and basic results are explained by means of analytical considerations., Physical Review A, in press

We consider self-trapping of topological modes governed by the one- and two-dimensional (1D and 2D) nonlinear-Schrodinger/Gross-Pitaevskii equation with effective single- and double-well (DW) nonlinear potentials induced by spatial modulation of the local strength of the self-defocusing nonlinearity. This setting, which may be implemented in optics and Bose-Einstein condensates, aims to extend previous studies, which dealt with single-well nonlinear potentials. In the 1D setting, we find several types of symmetric, asymmetric and antisymmetric states, focusing on scenarios of the spontaneous symmetry breaking. The single-well model is extended by including rocking motion of the well, which gives rise to Rabi oscillations between the fundamental and dipole modes. Analysis of the 2D single-well setting gives rise to stable modes in the form of ordinary dipoles, vortex-antivortex dipoles (VADs), and vortex triangles (VTs), which may be considered as produced by spontaneous breaking of the axial symmetry. The consideration of the DW configuration in 2D reveals diverse types of modes built of components trapped in the two wells, which may be fundamental states and vortices with topological charges m = 1 and 2, as well as VADs (with m = 0) and VTs (with m = 2)., Comment: Journal of Optics, in press (a special issue on Singular Optics and Topological Photonics)

We introduce a one-dimensional model of a cavity with the Kerr nonlinearity and saturated gain, designed so as to keep solitons in the state of shuttle motion. The solitons are always unstable in the cavity bounded by the usual potential barriers, due to accumulation of noise generated by the linear gain. Complete stabilization of the shuttling soliton is achieved if the linear barrier potentials are replaced by nonlinear ones, which trap the soliton, being transparent to the radiation. The removal of the noise from the cavity is additionally facilitated by an external ramp potential. The stable dynamical regimes are found numerically, and their basic properties are explained analytically., Optics Letters, to be published

Gross-Pitaevskii or nonlinear-Schrödinger equations with a sinusoidal potential is commonly used to describe nonlinear periodic media, such as photonic lattices in optics and Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) loaded into optical lattices (OLs). Previous studies have shown that the 2D version of this equation, with the self-focusing (SF) nonlinearity, supports stable solitons in the semi-infinite gap. It is known, too, that under both the self-defocusing (SDF) and SF nonlinearities, several families of gap solitons (GSs) exist in finite bandgaps. Here, we investigate the stability of 2D dipole-mode GS families, via the computation of their linear-stability eigenvalues and direct simulations of the perturbed evolution. We demonstrate that, under the SF nonlinearity, one species of dipole GSs is stable in a part of the first finite bandgap, provided that the OL depth exceeds a threshold value, while other dipole and multipole modes are unstable in that case. Bidipole bound states (vertical, horizontal, and diagonal), as well as square- and rhombic-shaped vortices and quadrupoles, built of stable fundamental dipoles, are stable too. Under the SDF nonlinearity, the family of dipole solitons is shown to be stable in a part of the second finite bandgap. Transformations of unstable dipole GSs are studied by means of direct simulations. Direct simulations are also performed to investigate the stability of other GS families, in the first and second bandgaps, under both types of the nonlinearity. In particular, "tripole" solitons, sustained in the second bandgap under the action of the SF nonlinearity, demonstrate stable behavior in the course of long propagation, in a certain region within the bandgap.

We investigate 1D and 2D radial domain-wall (DW) states in the system of two nonlinear-Schr\"{o}dinger/Gross-Pitaevskii equations, which are coupled by the linear mixing and by the nonlinear XPM (cross-phase-modulation). The system has straightforward applications to two-component Bose-Einstein condensates, and to the bimodal light propagation in nonlinear optics. In the former case, the two components represent different hyperfine atomic states, while in the latter setting they correspond to orthogonal polarizations of light. Conditions guaranteeing the stability of flat continuous wave (CW) asymmetric bimodal states are established, followed by the study of families of the corresponding DW patterns. Approximate analytical solutions for the DWs are found near the point of the symmetry-breaking bifurcation of the CW states. An exact DW solution is produced for ratio 3:1 of the XPM and SPM coefficients. The DWs between flat asymmetric states, which are mirror images to each other, are completely stable, and all other species of the DWs, with zero crossings in one or two components, are fully unstable. Interactions between two DWs are considered too, and an effective potential accounting for the attraction between them is derived analytically. Direct simulations demonstrate merger and annihilation of the interacting DWs. The analysis is extended for the system including single- and double-peak external potentials. Generic solutions for trapped DWs are obtained in a numerical form, and their stability is investigated. An exact stable solution is found for the DW trapped by a single-peak potential. In the 2D geometry, stable two-component vortices are found, with topological charges s=1,2,3. Radial oscillations of annular DW-shaped pulsons, with s=0,1,2, are studied too. A linear relation between the period of the oscillations and the mean radius of the DW ring is derived analytically., Comment: Physical Review E, in press

We investigate 1D and 2D domain-wall (DW) states in systems of two nonlinear-Schrodinger (NLS) equations, which are coupled by the linear mixing and by the XPM (cross-phase-modulation). The system applies to the bimodal light propagation in nonlinear optics and two-component Bose-Einstein condensates. Approximate analytical solutions for the DWs are found near the point of the symmetry-breaking bifurcation of the CW (continuous-wave) states. An exact DW solution is obtained for ratio 3 ∶ 1 of the XPM and SPM coefficients. The DWs between flat asymmetric CW states, which are mirror images to each other, are stable, while all other species of the DWs, with zero crossing(s) in one or two components, are unstable. An effective potential of attraction between DWs is derived. An exact stable solution is also found for the DW trapped by an external single-peak potential. In the 2D geometry, stable two-component vortices are found, with topological charges s = 1, 2, 3. Radial oscillations of annular DW-shaped pulsons, with s = 0, 1, 2, are studied too.

It is well known that the two-dimensional (2D) nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation (NLSE) with the cubic-quintic (CQ) nonlinearity supports a family of stable fundamental solitons, as well as solitary vortices (alias vortex rings), which are stable for sufficiently large values of the norm. We study stationary localized modes in a symmetric linearly coupled system of two such equations, focusing on asymmetric states. The model may describe "optical bullets" in dual-core nonlinear optical waveguides (including spatiotemporal vortices that were not discussed before), or a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) loaded into a "dual-pancake" trap. Each family of solutions in the single-component model has two different counterparts in the coupled system, one symmetric and one asymmetric. Similarly to the earlier studied coupled 1D system with the CQ nonlinearity, the present model features bifurcation loops, for fundamental and vortex solitons alike: with the increase of the total energy (norm), the symmetric solitons become unstable at a point of the direct bifurcation, which is followed, at larger values of the energy, by the reverse bifurcation restabilizing the symmetric solitons. However, on the contrary to the 1D system, the system may demonstrate a double bistability for the fundamental solitons. The stability of the solitons is investigated via the computation of instability growth rates for small perturbations. Vortex rings, which we study for two values of the "spin", s = 1 and 2, may be subject to the azimuthal instability, like in the single-component model. We also develop a quasi-analytical approach to the description of the bifurcations diagrams, based on the variational approximation. Splitting of asymmetric vortices, induced by the azimuthal instability, is studied by means of direct simulations. Interactions between initially quiescent solitons of different types are studied too., Comment: Physica D, in press

We introduce a system of linearly coupled parametrically driven damped nonlinear Schrodinger equations, which models a laser based on a nonlinear dual-core waveguide with parametric amplification symmetrically applied to both cores. The model may also be realized in terms of parallel ferromagnetic films, in which the parametric gain is provided by an external field. We analyze spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) of fundamental and multiple solitons in this system, which was not studied systematically before in linearly coupled dissipative systems with intrinsic nonlinearity. For fundamental solitons, the analysis reveals three distinct SSB scenarios. Unlike the standard dual-core-fiber model, the present system gives rise to a vast bistability region, which may be relevant to applications. Other noteworthy findings are restabilization of the symmetric soliton after it was destabilized by the SSB bifurcation, and the existence of a generic situation with all solitons unstable in the single-component (decoupled) model, while both symmetric and asymmetric solitons may be stable in the coupled system. The stability of the asymmetric solitons is identified via direct simulations, while for symmetric and antisymmetric ones the stability is verified too through the computation of stability eigenvalues, families of antisymmetric solitons being entirely unstable. In this way, full stability maps for the symmetric solitons are produced. We also investigate the SSB bifurcation of two-soliton bound states (it breaks the symmetry between the two components, while the two peaks in the shape of the soliton remain mutually symmetric). The family of the asymmetric double-peak states may decouple from its symmetric counterpart, being no longer connected to it by the bifurcation, with a large portion of the asymmetric family remaining stable.

We predict a variety of composite quiescent and spinning two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) self-trapped modes in media with a repulsive nonlinearity whose local strength grows from center to periphery. These are 2D dipoles and quadrupoles, and 3D octupoles, as well as vortex–antivortex pairs and quadruplets. Unlike other multidimensional models, where such complex bound states either do not exist or are subject to strong instabilities, these modes are remarkably robust in the present setting. The results are obtained by means of numerical methods and analytically, using the Thomas–Fermi approximation. The predicted states may be realized in optical and matter-wave media with controllable cubic nonlinearities.

In the European countries, age standardized incidence rates (European standard) for ovarian cancer vary between 7.2 and 19.3/100,000 while mortality rates are ranging between 2.8 and 12.2/100,000.1 In Belgium, ovarian cancer is not as frequent as breast cancer since breast cancer presents with very high incidence rates (similar for other European countries). However, age standardized breast cancer mortality rates in 2008 were less than one fourth of the age standardized incidence rates whereas for ovarian cancer, mortality rates were two thirds of the incidence rates (see figure 1). And, unlike for breast cancer, mortality rates for ovarian cancer were not decreasing over the past years.2 Indeed, ovarian cancer is one of the leading causes of death from gynaecological malignancies.3 This is explained by the fact that in general, ovarian cancer is detected at too advanced stages. Early diagnosis of ovarian cancer is thus the key for improving outcomes for the disease. Medical imaging techniques have revolutionised medicine during the last decades. Ultrasound (US) in particular gives access to vital data in a non-invasive way and is effective for imaging soft tissues of the body. Compared to other medical imaging modalities, US has the following positive attributes: • US is a real-time, easy operation medical imaging technique • US has a non-invasive and radiation free nature • US is relatively low-priced, Hence US has become widely used as a diagnostic technique in general clinical practice. In gynaecology, US is one of the most important and primary diagnostic tools. Its use continues to increase and it is now an essential part of the diagnostic procedure in examining the female pelvis. Indeed, the use of US morphology to characterize adnexal masses and thus diagnose ovarian cancer is well established.4 As a part of patient management, gynaecologists use US morphology to differentiate between malignant and non-malignant ovarian masses that come to their attention. In addition, a large number of indexes and mathematical prediction models that assess the likelihood of malignancy for an ovarian mass have been developed and they all incorporate US. A novel computer-aided technology, HistoScanningTM, makes use of US data for characterising ovarian tissue suspicious of being malignant. In part I of this research work, we investigated whether ovarian HistoScanning could improve the performance of existing prediction models for the differential diagnosis of ovarian masses and we also explored what place could be granted to this new technology in clinical practise. Part I is organised as follows: Chapter 1 concerns the epidemiology of ovarian cancer and discusses the importance of differential diagnosis of ovarian masses. Detailed aims are described in chapter 2. Chapter 3 introduces the general methods used for this work. In chapter 4, two publications that present the results of this work are presented. Finally, a discussion, regarding the results presented in part I, concludes this work in chapter 5. (MED 3) -- UCL, 2011