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Nonlinear physics

Déjà vu in optics

Nature volume 413, pages 267–268 (2001)Cite this article

Using optical fibres, experimentalists have confirmed that a physical version of déjà vu — whereby a system returns to its original state — does occur with light waves.

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Figure 1: The Fermi–Pasta–Ulam recurrence as seen in this solution of the nonlinear Schrödinger wave equation.

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  1. Optical Sciences Centre, Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Australian National University, ACT 0200, Australia

    Nail N. Akhmediev

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  1. Nail N. Akhmediev
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Correspondence to Nail N. Akhmediev.

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Akhmediev, N. Déjà vu in optics. Nature 413, 267–268 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35095154

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