Energy localization in an atomic chain with a topological soliton

Abstract

Topological defects in low-dimensional nonlinear systems feature a sliding-to-pinning transition of relevance for a variety of scenarios, ranging from biophysics to nano- and solid-state physics. We find that the dynamics after a local excitation results in a highly nontrivial energy transport in the presence of a topological defect, characterized by a strongly enhanced energy localization in the pinning regime. Moreover, we show that the energy flux in ion crystals with a defect can be sensitively regulated by experimentally accessible environmental parameters. Whereas nonlinear resonances can cause an enhanced long-time energy delocalization, robust energy localization persists for distinct parameter ranges, even for long evolution times and large local excitations.