title: Chaotic spatial soliton rays in smooth two-dimensional optical lattices.
abstract: The light ray of a spatial soliton in an optical film whose refractive index is smoothly modulated (wavelength much larger than the typical soliton width) in both spatial directions is shown to possess chaotic regimes for which the propagation is erratic. This is interpreted as a parametric driven pendulum, obtained by what we believe to be a new perturbative approach of the Maxwell's equation. These findings are then demonstrated to compare well to the eikonal law of light ray propagation (nonlinearity compensates diffraction).
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Astroparticules, CNRS-IN2P3-UMR 5207, Université Montpellier 2, 34095 Montpellier, France. khomeriki@hotmail.com
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khomeriki
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leon