We propose the suppression of dispersive spreading of wave packets governed by the free-space Schrödinger equation with a periodically pulsed nonlinear term. Using asymptotic analysis, we construct stroboscopically dispersionless quantum states that are physically reminiscent of, but mathematically different from, the well-known one-soliton solutions of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation with a constant (time-independent) nonlinearity. Our analytics are strongly supported by full numerical simulations. The predicted dispersionless wave packets can move with arbitrary velocity and can be realized in experiments involving ultracold atomic gases with temporally controlled interactions.

• Received 22 May 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.98.013620