Nonlinear guided waves and symmetry breaking in left-handed waveguides

We analyze nonlinear guided waves in a planar waveguide made of a left-handed material surrounded by a Kerr-like nonlinear dielectric. We predict that such a waveguide can support fast and slow symmetric and antisymmetric nonlinear modes. We study the symmetry breaking bifurcation and asymmetric modes in such a symmetric structure. We analyze nonlinear dispersion properties of the guided waves, and show that the modes can be both forward and backward.