Symmetry breaking in binary chains with nonlinear sites

Abstract

We consider a system of two or four nonlinear sites coupled with binary chain waveguides. When a monochromatic wave is injected into the first (symmetric) propagation channel, the presence of cubic nonlinearity can lead to symmetry breaking, giving rise to emission of antisymmetric wave into the second (antisymmetric) propagation channel of the waveguides. We found that in the case of nonlinear plaquette, there is a domain in the parameter space where neither symmetry-preserving nor symmetry-breaking stable stationary solutions exit. As a result, injection of a monochromatic symmetric wave gives rise to emission of nonsymmetric satellite waves with energies differing from the energy of the incident wave. Thus, the response exhibits nonmonochromatic behavior.