Eur. Phys. J. D (2012) 66: 101
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2012-30004-x

Regular Article

Vector breather of surface plasmon polaritons in left-handed material

Technical University of Georgia, Kostava str. 77, 0179 Tbilisi, Georgia

^a e-mail: gadama@parliament.ge

Received: 2 January 2012
Received in final form: 1 March 2012
Published online: 26 April 2012

Abstract

A theory of an optical vector breather of self-induced transparency of surface plasmon polaritons is constructed. The nonlinear surface TM-modes propagating along the interface separating an isotropic medium and anisotropic left-handed material are investigated. A transition layer sandwiched between the connected media is described using a model of a two-dimensional gas of semiconductor quantum dots. Explicit analytical expressions for the shape and parameters of the surface vector breathers are obtained as well as simulations of the space-time dynamics of two-dimensional vector breathers presented with realistic parameters which can be reached in current experiments. It is shown that properties of a surface vector breather with phase modulation depends on the parameters of the quantum dots, the connected media and the transverse structure of the surface wave.