  Motivated by the example of a curved waveguide embedded in a photonic
crystal, we examine the effects of geometry in a ``quantum channel'' of
parabolic form. We study the linear case and derive exact as well as
approximate expressions for the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the linear
problem. We then proceed to the nonlinear setting and its stationary states in
a number of limiting cases that allow for analytical treatment. The results of
our analysis are used as initial conditions in direct numerical simulations of
the nonlinear problem and localized excitations are found to persist, as well
as to have interesting relaxational dynamics. Analogies of the present problem
in contexts related to atomic physics and particularly to Bose-Einstein
condensation are discussed.
