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1. Decay of Hamiltonian Breathers Under Dissipation

   https://doi.org/10.1007/s00220-020-03848-4  

   Eckmann, Jean-Pierre; Wayne, C. Eugene (November 2020, Communications in Mathematical Physics)

   null (Ed.)

   Abstract We study metastable behavior in a discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equation from the viewpoint of Hamiltonian systems theory. When there are $$n<\infty $$ n < ∞ sites in this equation, we consider initial conditions in which almost all the energy is concentrated in one end of the system. We are interested in understanding how energy flows through the system, so we add a dissipation of size $$\gamma $$ γ at the opposite end of the chain, and we show that the energy decreases extremely slowly. Furthermore, the motion is localized in the phase space near a family of breather solutions for the undamped system. We give rigorous, asymptotic estimates for the rate of evolution along the family of breathers and the width of the neighborhood within which the trajectory is confined. 

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2. Amplitude-dependent edge states and discrete breathers in nonlinear modulated phononic lattices

   https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ad016f  

   Rosa, Matheus I; Leamy, Michael J; Ruzzene, Massimo (October 2023, New Journal of Physics)

   Abstract We investigate the spectral properties of one-dimensional spatially modulated nonlinear phononic lattices, and their evolution as a function of amplitude. In the linear regime, the stiffness modulations define a family of periodic and quasiperiodic lattices whose bandgaps host topological edge states localized at the boundaries of finite domains. With cubic nonlinearities, we show that edge states whose eigenvalue branch remains within the gap as amplitude increases remain localized, and therefore appear to be robust with respect to amplitude. In contrast, edge states whose corresponding branch approaches the bulk bands experience de-localization transitions. These transitions are predicted through continuation studies on the linear eigenmodes as a function of amplitude, and are confirmed by direct time domain simulations on finite lattices. Through our predictions, we also observe a series of amplitude-induced localization transitions as the bulk modes detach from the nonlinear bulk bands and become discrete breathers that are localized in one or more regions of the domain. Remarkably, the predicted transitions are independent of the size of the finite lattice, and exist for both periodic and quasiperiodic lattices. These results highlight the co-existence of topological edge states and discrete breathers in nonlinear modulated lattices. Their interplay may be exploited for amplitude-induced eigenstate transitions, for the assessment of the robustness of localized states, and as a strategy to induce discrete breathers through amplitude tuning. 

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3. On the Existence of Generalized Breathers and Transition Fronts in Time-Periodic Nonlinear Lattices

   https://doi.org/10.1137/24M165822X  

   Chong, Christopher; Pelinovsky, Dmitry E; Schneider, Guido (March 2025, SIAM Journal on Applied Dynamical Systems)

   We prove the existence of a class of time-localized and space-periodic breathers (called q-gap breathers) in nonlinear lattices with time-periodic coe!cients. These q-gap breathers are the counterparts to the classical space-localized and time-periodic breathers found in space-periodic systems. Using normal form transformations, we establish rigorously the existence of such solutions with oscillating tails (in the time domain) that can be made arbitrarily small but finite. Due to the presence of the oscillating tails, these solutions are coined generalized q-gap breathers. Using a multiple-scale analysis, we also derive a tractable amplitude equation that describes the dynamics of breathers in the limit of small amplitude. In the presence of damping, we demonstrate the existence of transition fronts that connect the trivial state to the time-periodic ones. The analytical results are corroborated by systematic numerical simulations. 

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4. KdV breathers on a cnoidal wave background

   https://doi.org/10.1088/1751-8121/acc6a8  

   Hoefer, Mark A; Mucalica, Ana; Pelinovsky, Dmitry E (April 2023, Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical)

   Abstract Using the Darboux transformation for the Korteweg–de Vries equation, we construct and analyze exact solutions describing the interaction of a solitary wave and a traveling cnoidal wave. Due to their unsteady, wavepacket-like character, these wave patterns are referred to as breathers. Both elevation (bright) and depression (dark) breather solutions are obtained. The nonlinear dispersion relations demonstrate that the bright (dark) breathers propagate faster (slower) than the background cnoidal wave. Two-soliton solutions are obtained in the limit of degeneration of the cnoidal wave. In the small amplitude regime, the dark breathers are accurately approximated by dark soliton solutions of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation. These results provide insight into recent experiments on soliton-dispersive shock wave interactions and soliton gases. 

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5. Revisiting multi-breathers in the discrete Klein–Gordon equation: a spatial dynamics approach

   https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6544/ac8909  

   Parker, Ross; Cuevas-Maraver, Jesús; Kevrekidis, P G; Aceves, Alejandro (October 2022, Nonlinearity)

   Abstract We consider the existence and spectral stability of multi-breather structures in the discrete Klein–Gordon equation, both for soft and hard symmetric potentials. To obtain analytical results, we project the system onto a finite-dimensional Hilbert space consisting of the first M Fourier modes, for arbitrary M . On this approximate system, we then take a spatial dynamics approach and use Lin’s method to construct multi-breathers from a sequence of well-separated copies of the primary, single-site breather. We then locate the eigenmodes in the Floquet spectrum associated with the interaction between the individual breathers of such multi-breather states by reducing the spectral problem to a matrix equation. Expressions for these eigenmodes for the approximate, finite-dimensional system are obtained in terms of the primary breather and its kernel eigenfunctions, and these are found to be in very good agreement with the numerical Floquet spectrum results. This is supplemented with results from numerical timestepping experiments, which are interpreted using the spectral computations. 

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