Nonlinear optical studies of periodic dielectric structures have
blossomed in the past two decades. New fabrication techniques are
producing fiber grating and multidimensional photonic crystals in
materials where the refractive index can be varied by light pulses and
beams. Gap solitons that can propagate at any velocity from zero to the
speed of light and spatial solitons that prevent the diffractive spread
of light in waveguide arrays are two examples of the new phenomena
described in this book. Many new materials and structures are being
developed that will impact new optical devices with applications in
optical communications and optical data processing. All the above topics
are addressed in detail in this book.