The higher-dimensional Ablowitz–Ladik model: From (non-)integrability and solitary waves to surprising collapse properties and more exotic solutions

We propose a consideration of the properties of the two-dimensional Ablowitz–Ladik discretization of the ubiquitous nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) model. We use singularity confinement techniques to suggest that the relevant discretization should not be integrable. More importantly, we identify the prototypical solitary waves of the model and examine their stability, illustrating the remarkable feature that near the continuum limit, this discretization leads to the absence of collapse and complete spectral wave stability, in stark contrast to the standard discretization of the NLS. We also briefly touch upon the three-dimensional case and generalizations of our considerations therein, and also present some more exotic solutions of the model, such as exact line solitons and discrete vortices.

► The two-dimensional version of the Ablowitz–Ladik discretization of the nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation is considered.
► It is found that near the continuum limit the fundamental discrete soliton is spectrally stable.
► This finding is in sharp contrast with the case of the standard discretization of the NLS equation.
► In the three-dimensional version of the model, the fundamental solitons are unstable.
► Additional waveforms such as exact unstable line solitons and discrete vortices are also touched upon.