Vector mixed-gap surface solitons

Abstract

We elucidate the properties of mixed-gap vector surface solitons supported by the interface between a uniform medium and an optical lattice imprinted in a Kerr-type nonlinear media. The components of such mixed-gap solitons emerge from different gaps of lattice spectrum and their mutual trapping results in the formation of stable vector states. The unstable soliton component is stabilized by the cross-coupling with the stable component. We show that vector mixed-gap surface solitons exhibit a new combination of properties of vectorial surface waves and gap solitons.