Power thresholds of families of discrete surface solitons.

We have investigated both theoretically and experimentally the power threshold of discrete Kerr surface solitons at the interface between a discrete one-dimensional (1D) (waveguide array) and a continuous 1D (slab waveguide) AlGaAs medium. Decreasing power thresholds were predicted and measured for soliton trapping at sites with increasing distance from the boundary. The thresholds approached asymptotically the power required for a discrete soliton of equivalent width in an infinite lattice. The minimum threshold coincided with a minimum in the interchannel coupling strength.