This article offers a comprehensive survey of results obtained for solitons and complex nonlinear wave patterns supported by nonlinear lattices (NLs), which represent a spatially periodic modulation of the local strength and sign of the nonlinearity, and their combinations with linear lattices. A majority of the results obtained, thus far, in this field and reviewed in this article are theoretical. Nevertheless, relevant experimental settings are also surveyed, with emphasis on perspectives for implementation of the theoretical predictions in the experiment. Physical systems discussed in the review belong to the realms of nonlinear optics (including artificial optical media, such as photonic crystals, and plasmonics) and Bose-Einstein condensation. The solitons are considered in one, two, and three dimensions. Basic properties of the solitons presented in the review are their existence, stability, and mobility. Although the field is still far from completion, general conclusions can be drawn. In particular, a novel fundamental property of one-dimensional solitons, which does not occur in the absence of NLs, is a finite threshold value of the soliton norm, necessary for their existence. In multidimensional settings, the stability of solitons supported by the spatial modulation of the nonlinearity is a truly challenging problem, for theoretical and experimental studies alike. In both the one-dimensional and two-dimensional cases, the mechanism that creates solitons in NLs in principle is different from its counterpart in linear lattices, as the solitons are created directly, rather than bifurcating from Bloch modes of linear lattices.

Solitons in nonlinear lattices

The main purpos e of this chapter is to present a direct and systematic way of finding exact solutions and Backlund transformations of a certain class of nonlinear evolution equations. The nonlinear evolution equations are transformed, by changing the dependent variable(s), into bilinear differential equations of the following special form 
 
$$ F\left( {\frac{\partial }{{\partial t}} - \frac{\partial }{{\partial {t^1}}},\frac{\partial }{{\partial x}} - \frac{\partial }{{\partial {x^1}}}} \right)f(t,x)f({t^1},{x^1}){|_{t = {t^1},x = {x^1}}} = 0 $$ 
 
, which we solve exactly using a kind of perturbational approach.

Direct Methods in Soliton Theory (非線形現象の取扱いとその物理的課題に関する研究会報告)

A direct approach to exact solutions of nonlinear partial differential equations is proposed, by using rational function transformations. The new method provides a more systematical and convenient handling of the solution process of nonlinear equations, unifying the tanh-function type methods, the homogeneous balance method, the exp-function method, the mapping method, and the F -expansion type methods. Its key point is to search for rational solutions to variable-coefficient ordinary differential equations transformed from given partial differential equations. As an application, the construction problem of exact solutions to the 3 + 1 dimensional Jimbo–Miwa equation is treated, together with a Backlund transformation.

https://shell.cas.usf.edu/~wma3/MaL-CSF2009.pdf

A transformed rational function method and exact solutions to the 3+1 dimensional Jimbo–Miwa equation

Preface. 1. Plasmas and Dust. 2. Charging Mechanisms and Experiments. 3. Space Observations. 4. Multispecies Formalism and Waves. 5. Electrostatic Modes. 6. Electromagnetic Modes. 7. Fluctuating Dust Charges. 8. Self-Gravitation. 9. Mass and Size Distributions. 10. Other Modes. 11. Conclusions and Outlook. Bibliography. Index.

https://physicstoday.scitation.org/doi/pdf/10.1063/1.1404853

Waves in Dusty Space Plasmas

By means of a special variable separation approach, a common formula with some arbitrary functions has been obtained for some suitable physical quantities of various (2+1)-dimensional models such as the Davey-Stewartson (DS) model, the Nizhnik-Novikov-Veselov (NNV) system, asymmetric NNV equation, asymmetric DS equation, dispersive long wave equation, Broer-Kaup-Kupershmidt system, long wave-short wave interaction model, Maccari system, and a general (N+M)-component Ablowitz-Kaup-Newell-Segur (AKNS) system. Selecting the arbitrary functions appropriately, one may obtain abundant stable localized interesting excitations such as the multidromions, lumps, ring soliton solutions, breathers, instantons, etc. It is shown that some types of lower dimensional chaotic patterns such as the chaotic-chaotic patterns, periodic-chaotic patterns, chaotic line soliton patterns, chaotic dromion patterns, fractal lump patterns, and fractal dromion patterns may be found in higher dimensional soliton systems. The interactions between the traveling ring type soliton solutions are completely elastic. The traveling ring solitons pass through each other and preserve their shapes, velocities, and phases. Some types of localized weak solutions, peakons, are also discussed. Especially, the interactions between two peakons are not completely elastic. After the interactions, the traveling peakons also pass through each other and preserve their velocities and phases, however, they completely exchange their shapes.

Localized excitations in (2+1)-dimensional systems.

By employing the quantum hydrodynamic model and the reductive perturbation technique, a quantum Zakharov-Kuznetsov (QZK) equation is derived for finite but small amplitude ion-acoustic waves in a quantum magnetoplasma. The extended Conte's truncation method is used to obtain the solitary, explosive, and periodic solutions of the QZK equation. Furthermore, the stability of the solitary wave solution of the QZK equation is investigated by using the small-k perturbation expansion method.

Solitary, explosive, and periodic solutions of the quantum Zakharov-Kuznetsov equation and its transverse instability

A vector potential KdV equation and vector Ito equation: soliton solutions, bilinear Bäcklund transformations and Lax pairs

Some types of coupled Korteweg de-Vries (KdV) equations are derived from a two-layer fluid system. In the derivation procedure, an unreasonable y-average trick (usually adopted in the literature) is removed. The derived models are classified by means of the Painleve test. Three types of τ-function and multiple soliton solutions of the models are explicitly given via the exact solutions of the usual KdV equation. It is also discovered that a non-Painleve integrable coupled KdV system can have multiple soliton solutions.

http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0305-4470/39/3/005/pdf

Coupled KdV equations derived from two-layer fluids

Some types of coupled Korteweg de-Vries (KdV) equations are derived from an atmospheric dynamical system. In the derivation procedure, an unreasonable $y$-average trick (which is usually adopted in literature) is removed. The derived models are classified via Painlev\'e test. Three types of $\tau$-function solutions and multiple soliton solutions of the models are explicitly given by means of the exact solutions of the usual KdV equation. It is also interesting that for a non-Painlev\'e integrable coupled KdV system there may be multiple soliton solutions.

Xiao-yan Tang

Papers

Localized excitations in (2+1)-dimensional systems.

Solitary, explosive, and periodic solutions of the quantum Zakharov-Kuznetsov equation and its transverse instability

A vector potential KdV equation and vector Ito equation: soliton solutions, bilinear Bäcklund transformations and Lax pairs

Coupled KdV equations derived from two-layer fluids

Coupled KdV equations derived from atmospherical dynamics