Roadmap on optical rogue waves and extreme events

Nail Akhmediev et al. ; 38 págs.; 28 figs.
The pioneering paper 'Optical rogue waves' by Solli et al (2007 Nature 450 1054) started the new subfield in optics. This work launched a great deal of activity on this novel subject. As a result, the initial concept has expanded and has been enriched by new ideas. Various approaches have been suggested since then. A fresh look at the older results and new discoveries has been undertaken, stimulated by the concept of 'optical rogue waves'. Presently, there may not by a unique view on how this new scientific term should be used and developed. There is nothing surprising when the opinion of the experts diverge in any new field of research. After all, rogue waves may appear for a multiplicity of reasons and not necessarily only in optical fibers and not only in the process of supercontinuum generation. We know by now that rogue waves may be generated by lasers, appear in wide aperture cavities, in plasmas and in a variety of other optical systems. Theorists, in turn, have suggested many other situations when rogue waves may be observed. The strict definition of a rogue wave is still an open question. For example, it has been suggested that it is defined as 'an optical pulse whose amplitude or intensity is much higher than that of the surrounding pulses'. This definition (as suggested by a peer reviewer) is clear at the intuitive level and can be easily extended to the case of spatial beams although additional clarifications are still needed. An extended definition has been presented earlier by N Akhmediev and E Pelinovsky (2010 Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top. 185 1-4). Discussions along these lines are always useful and all new approaches stimulate research and encourage discoveries of new phenomena. Despite the potentially existing disagreements, the scientific terms 'optical rogue waves' and 'extreme events' do exist. Therefore coordination of our efforts in either unifying the concept or in introducing alternative definitions must be continued. From this point of view, a number of the scientists who work in this area of research have come together to present their research in a single review article that will greatly benefit all interested parties of this research direction. Whether the authors of this 'roadmap' have similar views or different from the original concept, the potential reader of the review will enrich their knowledge by encountering most of the existing views on the subject. Previously, a special issue on optical rogue waves (2013 J. Opt. 15 060201) was successful in achieving this goal but over two years have passed and more material has been published in this quickly emerging subject. Thus, it is time for a roadmap that may stimulate and encourage further research. © 2016 IOP Publishing
National Priority Research Program, project 6-021-1-005, of the Qatar National Research Fund. The work in China was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under grant No. 61275001 and by the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, under Grant No. 2014A030313799. Australian Research Council (DE130101432, DP140100265 and DP150102057). The work of JMSC was supported by MINECO under contract TEC2012-37958-C02-02, and by C. A.M. under contract S2013/MIT-2790. JMSC and NA acknowledge the support of the Volkswagen Foundation Agence Nationale de la Recherche through projects ANR- 2010-BLANC-0417-01 and ANR-2012-BS04-001, the Région Bourgogne, and the Labex ACTION program ANR- 11-LABX-01-01. The work of JMSC was supported by MINECO under contract TEC2012-37958-C02-02, by C A M under contract S2013 / MIT-2790, and by the Volkswagen Foundation. French National Research Agency (Grant No. ANR-12- BS04-0011 OPTIROC), and the Labex ACTION (Grant No. ANR11-LABX-01-01). S R acknowledges FONDECYT grant N 1130709. Fond National de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS), the Methusalem project and the Interuniversity Attraction 463 Poles program of the Belgian Science Policy Office, under 464 Grant No. IAP P7- 35 Photonics@be. ANR TOPWAVE, FOPAFE and LABEX CEMPI (ANR-11-LABX-0007) projects, by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, the Nord-Pas de Calais Regional Council and Fonds Européen de Développement Régional (FEDER) through the ‘Contrat de Projets Etat Région (CPER)’ and the ‘Campus Intelligence Ambiante (CIA)’. The Einstein Center for Mathematics Berlin under project D-OT2, Collaborative Research Center 123 PlanOS, and Nieders. Vorab Z3061. Spanish MINECO (FIS2015-66503-C3-2-P) and ICREA ACADEMIA. Mardsen Fund of New Zealand. ANR international program, project ANR-2010-INTB-402-02, ‘COLORS’. Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR, Project No.2012BFNWZ2). We acknowledge support from the Laboratoire d’Excellence CEMPI (Centre Européen pour les Mathématiques, la Physique et leurs Interactions).