Rogue waves and solitons on a cnoidal background

Solutions of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation, appearing as rogue waves on a spatially-periodic background envelope, are obtained using the Darboux transformation scheme. Several particular examples are illustrated numerically. These include soliton and breather solutions on a periodic background as well as higher-order structures. The results enrich our knowledge of possible analytic solutions that describe the appearance of rogue waves in a variety of situations. This work is prepared on the occasion of Prof. Helmut Brand's 60th birthday. He has made significant contributions to the science of solitons and his ideas have inspired our research into localised formations in various physical contexts.