Phase transitions of nonlinear waves in quadratic waveguide arrays

Phys Rev Lett. 2010 Dec 3;105(23):233905. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.233905. Epub 2010 Dec 1.

Abstract

We study two-color parametric nonlinear modes in waveguide arrays with a quadratic nonlinear response. We predict theoretically and observe experimentally a new type of phase transition manifested in an abrupt power-controlled change of the mode structure from unstaggered to staggered, due to the interplay of localization and synchronization in parametrically driven discrete systems.