Dynamics of Flat-Top--Bubble Vector Solitons

Abstract

We investigate the dynamics of two-component flat-top--bubble vector solitons using a variational approximation and numerical simulations. The system is described by coupled cubic-quintic nonlinear Schrödinger equations with repulsive intercomponent coupling. We introduce a self-induced mechanism in which a localized flat-top soliton (FTS) generates a density bubble in a second component: the localized density acts as a repulsive potential for the background field, creating a composite bound state. A background-subtracted formulation and normalized super-Gaussian profiles yield collective-coordinate equations for the component centers and an effective interaction potential for their relative separation. The potential forms a binding well that is nearly triangular over its global displacement range but smooth and locally parabolic near its minimum. The variational approximation consequently predicts harmonic internal oscillations whose frequency is independent of amplitude in the small-oscillation regime. Real-time simulations verify this weak-kick behavior with good agreement between the variational and numerical frequencies. For strong phase imprints, equating the exact kick energy to the variational binding depth predicts a kick scale \(K_{\mathrm{escape}}\) for the onset of partial FTS escape. Real-time simulations support this prediction: below this scale, the composite remains nearly intact, whereas above it, a substantial fraction of the localized component leaves the bubble.