Vector solitons in nonlinear lattices

We consider two-component solitons in a medium with a periodic modulation of the nonlinear coefficient. The modulation enables the existence of complex multihump vector states. In particular, vector solitons composed of dipole and fundamental or dipole and even double-hump components exist and may be stable. Families of unstable scalar solitons can be stabilized in the vectorial form, due to the coupling to a stable second component. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America