Nonlinear localized flat-band modes with spin-orbit coupling

Abstract

We report the coexistence and properties of stable compact localized states (CLSs) and discrete solitons (DSs) for nonlinear spinor waves on a flat-band network with spin-orbit coupling (SOC). The system can be implemented by means of a binary Bose-Einstein condensate loaded in the corresponding optical lattice. In the linear limit, the SOC opens a minigap between flat and dispersive bands in the system’s band-gap structure, and preserves the existence of CLSs at the flat-band frequency, simultaneously lowering their symmetry. Adding on-site cubic nonlinearity, the CLSs persist and remain available in an exact analytical form, with frequencies that are smoothly tuned into the minigap. Inside of the minigap, the CLS and DS families are stable in narrow areas adjacent to the FB. Deep inside the semi-infinite gap, both the CLSs and DSs are stable too. ©2016 American Physical Society