Modulational instabilities in acetanilide taking into account both the N–H and the C=O vibrational self-trappings

Abstract

A model of crystalline acetanilide, ACN accounting for the C=O and N–H vibrational self-trappings is presented. We develop a fully discrete version of ACN. We show that ACN can be described by a set of two coupled discrete nonlinear Schrödinger (DNLS) equations. Modulational instabilities (MI) are studied both theoretically and numerically. Dispersion laws for the wavenumbers and frequencies of the linear modulation waves are determined. We also derived the criterion for the existence of MI. Numerical simulations are carried out for a variety of selected wave amplitudes in the unstable zone. It is shown that instabilities grow as the wavenumbers and amplitudes of the modulated waves increase. MI grow faster in the N–H mode than in the C=O mode. Temporal evolution of the density probabilities of the vibrational excitons are obtained by the numerical integration of the coupled DNLS equations governing the ACN molecule. These investigations confirm the generation of localized modes by the phenomenon of MI and the predominance of the N–H vibrational mode in the MI process of the ACN.