Soliton dynamics induced by periodic spatially inhomogeneous losses in optical media described by the complex Ginzburg-Landau model

We study the rich dynamics of dissipative spatial solitons in optical media described by the complex Ginzburg-Landau equation in the presence of periodic, sinusoidal-type spatially inhomogeneous losses. It is revealed that in the case when the soliton is launched at the point where the periodic spatial modulation loss profile has its zero value, the gradient force of the inhomogeneous loss easily induces three generic propagation scenarios: (a) soliton transverse drift, (b) persistent swing around the soliton input launching position, and (c) damped oscillations near or even far from the input position. The soliton exhibiting damped oscillations eventually evolves into a stable one, whose output position can be controlled by the amplitude of the inhomogeneous loss profile. Conversely, when the launching point coincides with an extremum (a maximum or a minimum) of the sinusoidal-type loss landscape, both soliton transverse drift and soliton damped oscillations occur due to transverse modulation instability. Moreover, in this case, depending on the balance between the amplitude of the inhomogeneous loss modulation profile and the homogeneous linear loss coefficient, either the launched soliton can maintain its stable propagation at the input position or a stable plump dissipative soliton can be formed while preserving the launching point. (c) 2012 Optical Society of America