Dynamical Symmetry Breaking in Dual-Core Nonlinear Systems

Fundamental models of various physical media based on configurations with two
parallel cores (waveguides) amount to systems of linearly coupled equations. A
known example is the model of dual-core optical fibers or planar waveguides,
which amounts to a system of coupled nonlinear Schroedinger (NLS) equations.
In such systems, obvious symmetric soliton solutions lose their stability
through symmetry-breaking bifurcations, when the energy exceeds a certain
critical value. The bifurcations simultaneously gives rise to stable asymmetric
solitons. The talk aims to present an overview of basic models, results, and
physical applications of the symmetry-breaking phenomena in conservative and
dissipative nonlinear media.