Generating datasets for the project portfolio selection and scheduling problem.

The article presents two variants of the project portfolio selection and scheduling problem (PPSSP). The primary objective of the PPSSP is to maximise the total portfolio value through the selection and scheduling of a subset of projects subject to various operational constraints. This article describes two recently-proposed, generalised models of the PPSSP [1], [2] and proposes a set of synthetically generated problem instances for each.

Vortex algebra by multiply cascaded four-wave mixing of femtosecond optical beams.

Experiments performed with different vortex pump beams show for the first time the algebra of the vortex topological charge cascade, that evolves in the process of nonlinear wave mixing of optical vortex beams in Kerr media due to competition of four-wave mixing with self-and cross-phase modulation. This leads to the coherent generation of complex singular beams within a spectral bandwidth larger than 200nm. Our experimental results are in good agreement with frequency-domain numerical calculations that describe the newly generated spectral satellites.

Observation of two-dimensional dynamic localization of light.

We report on the first experimental observation of dynamic localization of light in two-dimensional photonic lattices. We demonstrate suppression of beam diffraction in hexagonal lattices created by weakly coupled waveguides with axis bending. We also reveal that this effect is strongly related to dynamic localization in zigzag waveguide arrays with next-nearest neighboring interactions.

Analytical study of pulse amplification in silicon Raman amplifiers.

The nonlinear process of stimulated Raman scattering is important for silicon photonics as it enables optical amplification and lasing. To understand the dynamics of silicon Raman amplifiers (SRAs), a numerical approach is generally employed, even though it provides little insight into the contribution of different SRA parameters to the signal amplification process. In this paper, we solve the coupled pump-signal equations analytically under realistic conditions, and derive an exact formula for the envelope of a signal pulse when picosecond optical pulses are amplified inside a SRA pumped by a continuous-wave laser beam.

Polychromatic solitons and symmetry breaking in curved waveguide arrays.

We theoretically and experimentally study the nonlinear propagation of polychromatic light in curved waveguide arrays. We show that at moderate light powers the nonlinear self-action breaks the left-right symmetry of the polychromatic beam, resulting in the separation of different spectral components owing to the wavelength-dependent spatial shift. At high light powers a diffraction-managed polychromatic soliton is formed.

Observation of nonlinear surface waves in modulated waveguide arrays.

We describe theoretically and study experimentally nonlinear surface waves at the edge of a modulated waveguide array with a surface defect and a self-defocusing nonlinearity. We fabricate such structures in a LiNbO(3) crystal and demonstrate the beam switching to different output waveguides with a change of the light intensity due to nonlinear coupling between the linear surface modes supported by the array.

Observation of defect-free surface modes in optical waveguide arrays.

We report on the experimental observation of novel defect-free surface modes predicted theoretically for modulated photonic lattices [I. L. Garanovich et al.

Defect-free surface states in modulated photonic lattices.

We predict that interfaces of periodically curved waveguide arrays can support a novel type of surface states which exist in a certain region of modulation parameters associated with the band flattening. Such linear surface states appear in truncated but otherwise perfect (defect-free) lattices as a direct consequence of the periodic modulation of the lattice potential. We show that the existence of these modes in different band gaps can be flexibly controlled by selecting the modulation profile, with no restrictions on Bloch-wave symmetries characteristic of Shockley states.

Diffraction control in periodically curved two-dimensional waveguide arrays.

We study propagation of light beams in two-dimensional photonic lattices created by periodically curved waveguide arrays. We demonstrate that by designing the waveguide bending, one can control not only the strength and sign of the beam diffraction, but also to engineer the effective geometry and even dimensionality of the two-dimensional photonic lattice. We reveal that diffraction of different spectral components of polychromatic light can display completely different patterns in the same periodically modulated structure, e.

Nonlinear diffusion and beam self-trapping in diffraction-managed waveguide arrays.

We study nonlinear propagation of light in diffraction-managed photonic lattices created by periodically-curved arrays of optical waveguides. We identify different regimes of the nonlinear propagation of light in such structures depending on the input power. We start from the regime of self-collimation at low powers and demonstrate that, as the beam power increases, nonlinearity destroys the beam self-imaging and leads to nonlinear diffusion.

Nonlinear directional coupler for polychromatic light.

We demonstrate that a nonlinear directional coupler with special bending of waveguide axes can be used for all-optical switching of polychromatic light with a very broad spectrum covering all of the visible region. The bandwidth of the suggested device is enhanced five times compared with conventional couplers. Our results suggest novel opportunities for the creation of all-optical logical gates and switches for polychromatic light with white-light and supercontinuum spectra.

Broadband diffraction management and self-collimation of white light in photonic lattices.

We introduce periodic photonic structures where the strength of diffraction can be managed in a very broad frequency range. We show how to design arrays of curved waveguides where light beams experience wavelength-independent normal, anomalous, or zero diffraction. Our results suggest opportunities for efficient self-collimation, focusing, and reshaping of beams produced by white-light and supercontinuum sources.

Discrete surface solitons in semi-infinite binary waveguide arrays.

We analyze discrete surface modes in semi-infinite binary waveguide arrays, which can support simultaneously two types of discrete solitons. We demonstrate that the analysis of linear surface states in such arrays provides important information about the existence of nonlinear surface modes and their properties. We find numerically the families of both discrete surface solitons and nonlinear Tamm (gap) states and study their stability properties.

Demonstration of all-optical beam steering in modulated photonic lattices.

We demonstrate experimentally all-optical beam steering in modulated photonic lattices induced optically by three-beam interference in a biased photorefractive crystal. We identify and characterize the key physical parameters governing the beam steering and show that the spatial resolution can be enhanced by the additional effect of nonlinear beam self-localization.