# On integrable discretization of the inhomogeneous Ablowitz-Ladik model.

## 1 Introduction

During the last few years a great deal of attention has been paid to integrable discretizations of nonlinear evolution equations. The interest is naturally justified by needs of the computational physics . One of the purposes of integrable discretization is the construction of a discrete analogue of a continuum model which preserves main features of the last one. This point becomes especially important when one deals with inhomogeneous models. In that case even ”the first step” of the discretization of a one-dimensional nonlinear evolution equation, i.e. discrtization with respect to the spatial coordinate, may introduce qualitatively new features into the dynamics. So, for instance, in the case of the inhomogeneous nonlinear Schrödinger equation a constant force, which linearly depends on the spatial coordinate, results only in the renormalization of the phase and velocity of the one-soliton solution  while the same force leads to oscillations of solitons of the inhomogeneous Ablowitz-Ladik (AL)  model:

$$i\dot{q}_n+(1q_nr_n)(q_{n1}+q_{n+1})+2\chi nq_n=0$$
(1)   
$$i\dot{r}_n+(1q_nr_n)(r_{n1}+r_{n+1})+2\chi nr_n=0$$
(2)   
(here $`r_n=\pm \overline{q}_n`$, $`\chi `$ is a real constant, which from the physical point of view determines the strength of the linear force, a dot stands for the derivative with respect to time, and a bar stands for the complex conjugation) . Periodic dependence on time is a property of any solution of (1), (2) and it is caused by the discreteness. In the case of the one-soliton solution which reads

$$q_n^{(s)}=\overline{r}_n^{(s)}=\frac{\mathrm{sinh}(2w)}{\mathrm{cosh}[2nwX(t)X_0]}e^{i[\mathrm{\Phi }(t)2n\chi (tt_0)]}$$
(3)   
where

$$\mathrm{\Phi }(t)=\frac{1}{\chi }\mathrm{cosh}(2w)\mathrm{sin}[2\chi (tt_0)]$$
(4)   
$$X(t)=\frac{1}{\chi }\mathrm{sinh}(2w)\mathrm{cos}[2\chi (tt_0)]$$
(5)   
$`w`$, $`t_0`$, and $`X_0`$ are real constants, the soliton dynamics has deep analogy with the well known Bloch oscillations of an electron in a lattice potential affected by a constant electric field (due to this reason such behaviour is referred to as Bloch oscillations ). As it follows from (5) the period of oscillations is given by $`\tau _0=\pi /\chi `$.

The phenomenon of Bloch oscillations becomes especially interesting if one looks for the possibility of integrable discretization of the inhomogeneous AL model with respect to time. Indeed, Bloch oscillations are characterised by the additional temporal scale, $`\tau _0`$. This scale is determined by the strength of the force and must lead to some constrains on the step of discretization. Thus the purpose of the present communication is to introduce integrable discretization of the model (1), (2) and to obtain conditions on parameters of the discretization which preserve the effect of Bloch oscillations in the discrete scheme.

## 2 Integrable discretization

At $`\chi =0`$ system (1), (2) transforms to the conventional AL model which discretization is well known . In particular, it can be achieved by using the discrete analogue of the zero-curvature condition

$$U(n,t+h)V(n,t)=V(n+1,t)U(n,t).$$
(6)   
In the case $`\chi 0`$ the same condition involving $`U`$-matrix as follows

$`U(n,t)=\left(\begin{array}{cc}\lambda e^{i\chi t}& q(n,t)\\ r(n,t)& e^{i\chi t}/\lambda \end{array}\right)`$ (9)   
and $`V`$-matrix having the elements

$`V_{11}=ih\alpha _0+h\alpha _1\left(\lambda ^2e^{i\chi (2t+nh)}A(n,t)\right)+h\left({\displaystyle \frac{\alpha _2}{\lambda ^2}}e^{i\chi (2tnh)}\delta _2q(n,t+h)r(n1,t)\right)\mathrm{\Lambda }(n,t)`$   
$`V_{12}=h\left(\alpha _1\lambda e^{i\chi (t+nh)}q(n,t){\displaystyle \frac{\delta _1}{\lambda }}e^{i\chi (t+(n1)h)}q(n1,t+h)\right)+`$   
$`h\left(\delta _2\lambda e^{i\chi (t(n+1)h)}q(n,t+h){\displaystyle \frac{\alpha _2}{\lambda }}e^{i\chi (tnh)}q(n1,t)\right)\mathrm{\Lambda }(n,t)`$   
$`V_{21}=h\left(\alpha _1\lambda e^{i\chi (t+(n1)h)}r(n1,t+h){\displaystyle \frac{\delta _1}{\lambda }}e^{i\chi (t+nh)}r(n,t)\right)+`$   
$`h\left(\delta _2\lambda e^{i\chi (tnh)}r(n1,t){\displaystyle \frac{\alpha _2}{\lambda }}e^{i\chi (t(n+1)h)}r(n,t+h)\right)\mathrm{\Lambda }(n,t)`$   
$`V_{22}=i+h\delta _0h\delta _1\left(e^{i\chi (2t+nh)}/\lambda ^2D(n,t)\right)h\left(\delta _2\lambda ^2e^{i\chi (2tnh)}\alpha _2q(n1,t)r(n,t+h)\right)\mathrm{\Lambda }(n,t)`$   
where $`\lambda `$ is a spectral parameter, $`\alpha _j`$ and $`\delta _j`$ are parameters and $`h`$ ($`h>0`$) is a step of the discretization, results in the system

$`ih^1[q(n,t+h)q(n,t)]=\delta _1q(n1,t+h)e^{ih\chi (n2)}\delta _0q(n,t+h)`$   
$`\alpha _0q(n,t)+\alpha _1q(n+1,t)e^{ih\chi (n+1)}\delta _1q(n,t+h)D(n,t)\alpha _1q(n,t)A(n+1,t)`$   
$`\alpha _2q(n1,t)[e^{ih\chi (n+1)}q(n,t+h)r(n,t+h)]\mathrm{\Lambda }(n,t)+`$   
$`+\delta _2q(n+1,t+h)[e^{ih\chi (n+2)}q(n,t)r(n,t)]\mathrm{\Lambda }(n+1,t),`$ (10)   
$`ih^1[r(n,t+h)r(n,t)]=\alpha _1r(n1,t+h)e^{ih\chi (n2)}\alpha _0r(n,t+h)`$   
$`\delta _0r(n,t)+\delta _1r(n+1,t)e^{ih\chi (n+1)}\alpha _1r(n,t+h)A(n,t)\delta _1r(n,t)D(n+1,t)+`$   
$`\delta _2r(n1,t)[e^{ih\chi (n+1)}q(n,t+h)r(n,t+h)]\mathrm{\Lambda }(n,t)+`$   
$`\alpha _2r(n+1,t+h)[e^{ih\chi (n+2)}q(n,t)r(n,t)]\mathrm{\Lambda }(n+1,t)`$ (11)   
$`\alpha _1\left[A(n+1,t)A(n,t)e^{ih\chi }\right]h^1(ih\alpha _0)\left(1e^{ih\chi }\right)=`$   
$`\alpha _1\left[r(n,t)q(n+1,t)e^{ih\chi (n+1)}r(n1,t+h)q(n,t+h)e^{ih\chi (n1)}\right]+`$   
$`\delta _2r(n1,t)q(n,t+h)\mathrm{\Lambda }(n,t)\left(e^{ih\chi }e^{ihn\chi }\right)`$   
$`\delta _2q(n+1,t+h)r(n,t)\left(1e^{ih\chi (n+2)}\right)\mathrm{\Lambda }(n+1,t)`$ (12)   
$`\delta _1\left[D(n+1,t)D(n,t)e^{ih\chi }\right]+h^1(i+h\delta _0)\left(1e^{ih\chi }\right)=`$   
$`\delta _1\left[r(n,t+h)q(n1,t+h)e^{ih\chi (n1)}r(n+1,t)q(n,t)e^{ih\chi (n+1)}\right]+`$   
$`\alpha _2r(n,t+h)q(n1,t)\mathrm{\Lambda }(n,t)\left(e^{ih\chi }e^{ih\chi n}\right)+`$   
$`\alpha _2r(n+1,t+h)q(n,t)\mathrm{\Lambda }(n+1,t)\left(e^{ih\chi (n+2)}1\right)`$ (13)   
$$\mathrm{\Lambda }(n,t)[1q(n,t+h)r(n,t+h)]=\mathrm{\Lambda }(n+1,t)[1q(n,t)r(n,t)]$$
(14)   
Then the discrete analogue of the AL model (1), (2) is obtained from (2)-(14) by means of the reduction

$$r(n,t)=\pm \overline{q}(n,t)$$
(15)   
which requires the following relation among the parameters: $`\alpha _j=\overline{\delta }_j`$.

In order to define solutions of (2)-(14) one has to fix boundary conditions for $`r(n,t)`$, $`q(n,t)`$, $`A(n,t)`$, and $`D(n,t)`$. In what follows we deal only with the case of zero boundary conditions

$$\underset{n\pm \mathrm{}}{lim}q(n,t)=\underset{n\pm \mathrm{}}{lim}r(n,t)=0$$
(16)   
which allow existence of ”bright” solitons. Hence it will be assumed that $`r(n,t)=\overline{q}(n,t)`$. Respectively we have to require

$$\underset{|n|\mathrm{}}{lim}A(n,t)=A_0(n,t)=\frac{i+h\alpha _0}{h\alpha _1}\left(e^{ih\chi n}1\right),$$
(17)   
$$\underset{|n|\mathrm{}}{lim}D(n,t)=D_0(n,t)=\frac{i+h\delta _0}{h\delta _1}\left(e^{ih\chi n}1\right).$$
(18)   
Notice that (17), (18) transform to the zero boundary conditions in the case of the homogeneous AL model ($`\chi =0`$) .

Eqs. (2), (2) subject to (17), (18) allow one to express $`A(n,t)`$ and $`D(n,t)`$ through $`q(n,t)`$ and $`r(n,t)`$:

$$A(n,t)=A_0(n,t)+\alpha _1^1\underset{k=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}f_A(nk,t)e^{i\chi hk}$$
(19)   
$$D(n,t)=D_0(n,t)+\delta _1^1\underset{k=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}f_D(nk,t)e^{i\chi hk}$$
(20)   
Here $`f_A(n,t)`$ and $`f_D(n,t)`$ stand for the right hand sides of the equations (2) and (2), correspondingly. It is to emphasised that formulae (19) and (20) do not give yet explicit solutions for $`A(n,t)`$ and $`D(n,t)`$ and after substitution into (2), (2) represent a source of nonlocality of the discrete scheme.

As it has been shown in  a convenient approach to treat inhomogeneous discrete models is the use of the gauge transformation which allows one to restrict the study only to the temporal behaviour of the scattering data. The gauge transformation in the discrete case is given by

$$\stackrel{~}{U}(n,t)=G(n+1,t)U(n,t)G^1(n,t)$$
(21)   
$$\stackrel{~}{V}(n,t)=G(n,t+h)V(n,t)G^1(n,t)$$
(22)   
By choosing $`G(n,t)=\mathrm{exp}\{i\chi nt\sigma _3\}`$, where $`\sigma _3`$ is the Pauli matrix one reduces $`\stackrel{~}{U}(n,t)`$ to the form which corresponds to the $`U`$-matrix of the underline homogeneous model (i.e. to the form which does not have explicit dependence on time and can be obtained from (9) by the replacement $`\mathrm{exp}(i\chi t)1`$). Then the dependence of the transfer matrix $`T(t)`$, associated with $`\stackrel{~}{U}(n,t)`$, on the discrete time is governed by the equation

$$T(t+h)=V_hT(t)V_h^1$$
(23)   
where $`V_h`$ is a diagonal matrix, $`V_h=`$diag$`(\theta _1(\lambda ,t),\theta _2(\lambda ,t))`$, with the elements

$$\theta _1(\lambda ,t)=ih\alpha _0+h\lambda ^2\alpha _1e^{2i\chi t}+h\lambda ^2\alpha _2e^{2i\chi t}.$$
(24)   
$$\theta _2(\lambda ,t)=i+h\delta _0h\lambda ^2\delta _2e^{2i\chi t}h\lambda ^2\delta _1e^{2i\chi t}.$$
(25)   
Let us now assume that $`t=mh`$ and $`m=0,1,\mathrm{}`$ (it is straightforward to generalise the results to the case $`t=mh+t_0`$ where $`t_0`$ is an arbitrary real constant playing the role of initial moment of time). Then the element $`T^{(11)}`$ of the matrix $`T(t)`$ does not depend on $`m`$ (or $`t`$) while for $`T^{(12)}(t)b_m`$ one obtains

$$b_{m+1}=b_0\underset{n=0}{\overset{m}{}}\mu _n(\lambda )$$
(26)   
where

$$\mu _m(\lambda )=\theta _1(\lambda ,mh)/\theta _2(\lambda ,mh).$$
(27)   
In the case of solitonic solutions (26) formally solves the discrete Cauchy problem since it defines dependence of the scattering data on time and the solution of the eigenvalue problem for the matrix $`U(n,0)`$ is well known . Below we concentrate on some ”physical” consequences of that result.

## 3 Bloch oscillations in the discrete model

As it has been mentioned in the Introduction each step of discretization can introduce new features into the dynamics (even in cases of integrable models). One of such features is the oscillatory behaviour of the solutions of the AL model affected by the linear force (Bloch oscillations). Now we address to the question whether it is possible to preserve such evolution subject to the discretization with respect to time.

To this end we take into account that periodic behaviour means that there exists a positive integer $`M`$ such that

$$\underset{n=m+1}{\overset{m+M}{}}\mu _n(\lambda )=1$$
(28)   
for any $`\lambda `$ (which can be considered, say, inside the unit circle on the complex plane) and any $`m`$. The period $`\tau `$ of oscillations is then given by $`\tau =Mh`$ (evidently $`M`$ is considered to be the smallest possible integer).

The discretzation of the homogeneous AL model is a three parametic one (this, in particular, allows one to represent it in a form of a product of the local maps ). In the inhomogeneous case the imposed conditions lead to constrains on the parameters. To find them we first consider the limit $`|\lambda |0`$ (or $`|\lambda |\mathrm{}`$). Then from (24), (25), (27), and (28) one finds that there must exist relations

$$a_1=a_2\varphi _1^{(l)}+\varphi _2^{(l)}=2\pi \frac{l}{M},l=0,1,\mathrm{},M1$$
(29)   
where $`a_{1,2}`$ and $`\varphi _{1,2}`$ are real prameters connected to $`\alpha _{1,2}`$, $`\alpha _{1,2}=a_{1,2}\mathrm{exp}(\varphi _{1,2})`$, and the upper index has been attributed to the ”quantized” phases. Next, the independence of (28) on $`m`$ implies $`\mu _m=\mu _{m+M}`$ which means that

$$\chi h_{\stackrel{~}{l}}M=\pi \stackrel{~}{l}$$
(30)   
where $`\stackrel{~}{l}`$ is a positive integer. In other words the step of the discretization is not arbitrary (the subindex $`\stackrel{~}{l}`$ is introduced to label different discrete values of $`h`$). Physical sense of the last requirement is quite transparent. Recalling that the period of Bloch oscillations in the continuous-time model is given by $`\tau _0=\pi /\chi `$, one concludes that (29) means that the period of the Bloch oscillations in the discretized model, $`\tau `$, is $`\stackrel{~}{l}`$ times bigger than the period $`\tau _0`$: $`\tau =\stackrel{~}{l}\tau _0`$ and the number $`\stackrel{~}{l}`$ is related to the chosen step of discretization $`h`$. On the other hand rewriting (30) as $`h_{\stackrel{~}{l}}=\stackrel{~}{l}\tau _0/M`$ one can interpret it as a condition for the discretization step to be comensurable with the period of oscillations. As it is evident, for the direct coincidence of the result obtained on the discrete lattice with its continuum counterpart one must let $`\stackrel{~}{l}=1`$. Below we concentrate on this case. Then $`\mu _n(\lambda )`$ takes the form

$$\mu _n(\lambda )=\frac{1+ae^{i(\mathrm{\Gamma }_l+\gamma _{l,n})}\lambda ^2ae^{i(\mathrm{\Gamma }_l\gamma _{l,n})}\lambda ^2}{1ae^{i(\mathrm{\Gamma }_l+\gamma _{l,n})}\lambda ^2+ae^{i(\mathrm{\Gamma }_l\gamma _{l,n})}\lambda ^2}e^{2i\varphi _0}$$
(31)   
where

$$\mathrm{\Gamma }_l=\frac{l}{M}\pi \varphi _0,\gamma _{l,n}=\frac{1}{2}\left(\varphi _1^{(l)}\varphi _2^{(l)}\right)\frac{2\pi n}{M}$$

$`a=|h\alpha _1/(ih\alpha _0)|`$ and $`\varphi _0=\mathrm{arg}(ih\alpha _0)`$.

Now we consider the unit circle where $`\lambda ^2=\mathrm{exp}(i\psi )`$ ($`\psi `$ being real). Then one can find two possibilities to satisfy the requirement (28). One simplest solution corresponds to $`M`$ even and $`\varphi _0=\pi l/M+\pi /2+\pi p`$ ($`p`$ is an integer). Then $`\mu _n(\lambda )=\mathrm{exp}\{2\pi i(l/M1/2)\}`$. By the direct algebra one ensures that this is the degenerated case, when the limiting transition $`h0`$ results in a trivial linear equation instead of the AL model. A nontrivial and physically relevant solution corresponds to the case when $`M=4N`$ ($`N`$ is an integer) and $`\varphi _0=\varphi _{l,p}=\pi l/M+\pi p`$ (in that case $`\mu _n\mu _{n+N}\mu _{n+2N}\mu _{n+3N}=1`$). Then $`\mu _n(\lambda )`$ which determins evolution of the one-soliton solution associated with the eigenvalue $`\lambda _1=\mathrm{exp}(w+i\theta )`$ is given by

$$\mu _n(\lambda _1)=\frac{12(1)^pa\mathrm{sinh}[2wi(\gamma _{l,n}+2\theta )]}{1+2(1)^pa\mathrm{sinh}[2wi(\gamma _{l,n}+2\theta )]}\mathrm{exp}\left(2\pi i\frac{l}{M}\right)$$
(32)   
Let us illustrate the discrete-time dynamics on example of the one-soliton solution. We assume that (29) holds. For the sake of simplicity we let $`\varphi _1=\varphi _2=\pi /2`$ and $`\varphi _0=0`$. Then the one-soliton solution of (2), (2) can be written down in the form (recall $`t=mh`$)

$$q^{(s)}(n,m)=\overline{r}^{(s)}(n,m)=\frac{\mathrm{sinh}(2w)}{\mathrm{cosh}(2nwX_m)}e^{i\mathrm{\Phi }(n,m)}$$
(33)   
where

$$\mathrm{\Phi }(n,m)=\underset{k=0}{\overset{m1}{}}\mathrm{arctan}\left[\frac{4a\mathrm{cos}\left(2\chi kh2\theta \right)\mathrm{cosh}(2w)}{1+2a^2\mathrm{cos}\left(4\chi kh4\theta \right)+4a^2\mathrm{cosh}(4w)}\right]2i\chi nmh$$
(34)   
$$X_m=\frac{1}{2}\underset{k=0}{\overset{m1}{}}\mathrm{ln}\left[\frac{2a^2\left(\mathrm{cosh}(4w)+\mathrm{cos}\left(4\chi kh4\theta \right)\right)+14a\mathrm{sinh}(2w)\mathrm{sin}\left(2\chi kh2\theta \right)}{2a^2\left(\mathrm{cosh}(4w)+\mathrm{cos}\left(4\chi kh4\theta \right)\right)+1+4a\mathrm{sinh}(2w)\mathrm{sin}\left(2\chi kh2\theta \right)}\right]$$
(35)   
Comparing these formulae with (4), (5) one can see that choosing $`a=h/2`$ the last ones are obtained by the limiting transition $`h0`$.

To be more specific we concentrate on $`X_m`$ which describes evolution of the centre of the soliton. To this end we represent $`h=\pi \xi /(M\chi )`$ (the so chosen step of the discretization satisfies (30) when $`\xi `$ is integer). The results are summarized in Fig. 1 for three values of the parameter $`\xi `$ displaying different situations: (a) When $`\xi =1`$ the discrete model exactly reproduces Bloch oscillations of the continuous-time model. (b) At $`\xi =\sqrt{3}`$ the evolution of the discrete model is not periodic (notice that lines in the figure are used for the sake of convenience of presentation: the truth trajectories are sets of points). However, by considering analytic continuation of the solution the periodicity can be considered between discrete time steps . (c) At $`\xi =2`$ the period of soliton oscillations is two times more than the period of Bloch oscillation of the AL model which is obtained by the limiting transition $`h0`$, $`M\mathrm{}`$ with $`hM=\pi /\chi `$ (it is to be mentioned that the minima of the curve (c) about $`h=48`$ and $`h=145`$ are not numerical zeros).

Author acknowledges support from FEDER and Program PRAXIS XXI, grant N<sup>0</sup> PRAXIS/2/2.1/FIS/176/94.

Figure caption

Trajectory of the soliton centre corresponding to different steps of discrete time (a) $`h=1/97`$, (b) $`h=\sqrt{3}/97`$, and (c) $`h=2/97`$. Other parameters are as follows: $`M=97`$, $`w=0.5`$, $`\chi =\pi `$, $`a=0.1`$.