Dirac solitons in one-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equations

Abstract: In this paper we study a family of one-dimensional stationary cubic nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equations with periodic potentials and linear part displaying Dirac points in the dispersion relation. By introducing a suitable periodic perturbation, one can open a spectral gap around the Dirac-point energy. This allows to construct standing waves of the NLS equation whose leading-order profile is a modulation of Bloch waves by means of the components of a spinor solving an appropriate cubic nonlinear Dirac (NLD) equation. We refer to these solutions as Dirac solitons. Our analysis thus provides a rigorous justification for the use of the NLD equation as an effective model for the original NLS equation.