Nonlinear absorption in discrete systems

Abstract

In the context of nonlinear scattering, a continuous wave incident onto a nonlinear discrete molecular chain of coupled oscillators can be partially absorbed as a result of a 3-wave resonant interaction that couples two HF-waves of frequencies close to the edge of the Brillouin zone. Hence both nonlinearity and discreteness are necessary for generating this new absorption process which manisfests itself by soliton generation in the medium. As a paradigm of this nonlinear absorption we consider here the Davydov model that describes exciton-phonon coupling in hydrogen bonded molecular chains.