Nonlinear waves in optical media

In nonlinear optical systems quasi-monochromatic waves satisfy the classical, constant dispersion and dispersion managed nonlocal, nonlinear Schrödinger equations, both of which exhibit localized pulse solutions. Current research has shown that mode-locked lasers are also described by dispersion managed equations. In spatial systems recent developments have attracted considerable interest in 2D photonic lattices. A computational method is introduced to find these and other localized waves in nonlinear optical media with vanishing and non-vanishing boundary conditions.