Parametric amplification of soliton steering in optical lattices

We report on the effect of parametric amplification of spatial soliton swinging in Kerr-type nonlinear media with longitudinal and transverse periodic modulation of the linear refractive index. The parameter areas are found where the soliton center motion is analogous to the motion of a parametrically driven pendulum. This effect has potential applications for controllable soliton steering. (C) 2004 Optical Society of America.