Soliton-induced transparency in disordered Kerr-metamaterial heterostructures

The optical transmission properties of light in one-dimensional disordered nonlinear layered systems with metamaterial inclusions are theoretically studied. Layer widths of both nonlinear and metamaterial slabs are considered as random variables without any correlation between them. A thorough investigation of the influence of disorder in the vicinities of a Bragg gap, a zero-n gap, and a bulk-like longitudinal plasmon–polariton gap is performed. Disorder effects result in a considerable broadness of the transmission peaks as compared with periodic nondisordered structures. It is shown that the Bragg-gap soliton reveals itself as the most robust against disorder.