Discrete Nonlinear Schrödinger Dynamics · Preprint · Version 4

Differential Nonlinear Robustness of Critical States in Fibonacci and Tribonacci Substitution Chains

A numerical study of DNLS dynamics on quasiperiodic tight-binding chains — finite-size scaling, long-time evolution, and the self-trapping threshold gap. To our knowledge, the first numerical study of DNLS dynamics on a tribonacci substitution chain. 📦

Pablo Nogueira Grossi · G6 LLC, Newark NJ · ORCID 0009-0000-6496-2186

DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20230642 Concept DOI (latest version)
Read the paper (V4) Zenodo record Code & data

The core finding

We integrate the discrete nonlinear Schrödinger (DNLS) equation on two quasiperiodic chains — the Fibonacci chain (n=2) and the Rauzy–tribonacci chain (n=3) — starting from mid-gap eigenstates of the linear Hamiltonian, over nonlinearity strengths λ ∈ [0, 10] and times T ∈ [50, 10⁶], tracking the inverse participation ratio (IPR) as the localization measure.

The tribonacci chain exhibits differential nonlinear robustness: at canonical parameters (T=50, N=500, λ=1.5) the tribonacci mid-gap state retains >95% of its linear IPR while the Fibonacci state loses ~57%. The mechanism is the stronger multifractal spatial hierarchy of the Rauzy–tribonacci eigenstate.

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IPR retained after nonlinear evolution

T=50 · N=500 · λ=1.5 — share of linear-limit IPR retained
Tribonacci
>95%
Fibonacci
~43%
8.6×

Robustness ratio

Tribonacci vs Fibonacci IPR retention at canonical parameters.

3.9×

Linear-limit IPR ratio

Tribonacci mid-gap state is more localized before nonlinearity acts (0.0820 vs 0.0210).

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η ≈ 1.8393

Decay constant

Perron–Frobenius eigenvalue of the tribonacci companion matrix; unique real root of x³ − x² − x − 1 = 0 in [1,2].

1st

Of its kind

First numerical study of DNLS dynamics on a tribonacci substitution chain, to our knowledge.