Wave-packet dynamics in one-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger lattices: Local vs. Nonlocal nonlinear effects

Abstract

We study numerically the dynamics of an initially localized wave packet in one-dimensional nonlinear Schrodinger lattices with both local and nonlocal nonlinearities. Using the discrete nonlinear Schrodinger equation generalized by including a nonlocal nonlinear term, we calculate four different physical quantities as a function of time, which are the return probability to the initial excitation site, the participation number, the root-mean-square displacement from the excitation site and the spatial probability distribution. We investigate the influence of the nonlocal nonlinearity on the delocalization to self-trapping transition induced by the local nonlinearity. In the non-self-trapping region, we find that the nonlocal nonlinearity compresses the soliton width and slows down the spreading of the wave packet. In the vicinity of the delocalization to self-trapping transition point and inside the self-trapping region, we find that a new kind of self-trapping phenomenon, which we call partial self-trapping, takes place when the nonlocal nonlinearity is sufficiently strong.