Bright soliton of the focusing nonlinear Schrödinger equation
ID: bright-soliton-of-the-focusing-nonlinear-schrodinger-equation
Bright soliton of the focusing nonlinear Schrödinger equation by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-11-05
In the normalizationthe one-dimensional focusing nonlinear Schrodinger equation admits a localized soliton on zero background. The negative cubic term balances the spreading caused by dispersion. For frequency , let . ThenThe constants and specify the centre and constant phase. The coefficient of the second derivative fixes the relation between frequency, width and amplitude; other common nonlinear Schrödinger equation conventions rescale these quantities.
To check the solution, the hyperbolic secant identity givesHence , exactly the stationary equation. The peak amplitude is , the width scale is , and , so its L2 norm is finite.
A Galilean boost of a nonlinear Schrödinger soliton produces the moving solutionIts centre travels at constant velocity , while its shape and L2 norm remain fixed. [ref]
Nonlinear dispersive equations: local and global analysis by Terence Tao. Section 3.1, printed p. 114, equation 3.10: Galilean symmetry in the half-Laplacian normalization; the explicit cubic profile is verified above
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