Interplay of Thermalization and Strong Disorder: Wave Turbulence Theory, Numerical Simulations, and Experiments in Multimode Optical Fibers.

We address the problem of thermalization in the presence of a time-dependent disorder in the framework of the nonlinear Schrödinger (or Gross-Pitaevskii) equation with a random potential. The thermalization to the Rayleigh-Jeans distribution is driven by the nonlinearity. On the other hand, the structural disorder is responsible for a relaxation toward the homogeneous equilibrium distribution (particle equipartition), which thus inhibits thermalization (energy equipartition).

Incoherent localized structures and hidden coherent solitons from the gravitational instability of the Schrödinger-Poisson equation.

The long-term behavior of a modulationally unstable conservative nonintegrable system is known to be characterized by the soliton turbulence self-organization process. We consider this problem in the presence of a long-range interaction in the framework of the Schrödinger-Poisson (or Newton-Schrödinger) equation accounting for the gravitational interaction. By increasing the amount of nonlinearity, the system self-organizes into a large-scale incoherent localized structure that contains "hidden" coherent soliton states: The solitons can hardly be identified in the usual spatial or spectral domains, but their existence can be unveiled in the phase-space representation (spectrogram).

Coherent Soliton States Hidden in Phase Space and Stabilized by Gravitational Incoherent Structures.

We consider the problem of the formation of soliton states from a modulationally unstable initial condition in the framework of the Schrödinger-Poisson (or Newton-Schrödinger) equation accounting for gravitational interactions. We unveil a previously unrecognized regime: By increasing the nonlinearity, the system self-organizes into an incoherent localized structure that contains "hidden" coherent soliton states. The solitons are hidden in the sense that they are fully immersed in random wave fluctuations: The radius of the soliton is much larger than the correlation radius of the incoherent fluctuations, while its peak amplitude is of the same order of such fluctuations.

Dramatic Acceleration of Wave Condensation Mediated by Disorder in Multimode Fibers.

Classical nonlinear waves exhibit a phenomenon of condensation that results from the natural irreversible process of thermalization, in analogy with the quantum Bose-Einstein condensation. Wave condensation originates in the divergence of the thermodynamic equilibrium Rayleigh-Jeans distribution, which is responsible for the macroscopic population of the fundamental mode of the system. However, achieving complete thermalization and condensation of incoherent waves through nonlinear optical propagation is known to require prohibitive large interaction lengths.

Nonequilibrium Precondensation of Classical Waves in Two Dimensions Propagating through Atomic Vapors.

The nonlinear Schrödinger equation, used to describe the dynamics of quantum fluids, is known to be valid not only for massive particles but also for the propagation of light in a nonlinear medium, predicting condensation of classical waves. Here we report on the initial evolution of random waves with Gaussian statistics using atomic vapors as an efficient two dimensional nonlinear medium. Experimental and theoretical analysis of near field images reveal a phenomenon of nonequilibrium precondensation, characterized by a fast relaxation towards a precondensate fraction of up to 75%.