Consider the generalized Korteweg–de Vries (gKdV) equations with integer power nonlinearities \(q\ge 2\) in dimension \(N=1\) , and the Zakharov–Kuznetsov (ZK) model with integer power nonlinearities \(q\ge 2\) in higher dimensions \(N\ge 2\) . Among these power-type models, the only conjectured equation with space localized time periodic breathers is the modified KdV (mKdV), corresponding to the case \(q=3\) and \(N=1\) . Quasimonochromatic solutions were introduced by Mandel (Partial Differ Equ Appl 2:8, 2021) to show that sine-Gordon is the only scalar field model with breather solutions in this class. In this paper we consider smooth generalized quasimonochromatic solutions of arbitrary size for gKdV and ZK models and provide a rigorous proof that mKdV is the unique power-like model among them with spatially localized breathers of this type. In particular, we show the nonexistence of breathers of this class in the ZK models. The method of proof involves the use of the naturally coherent algebra of Bell’s polynomials to obtain particularly distinctive structural elliptic PDEs satisfied by breather-like quasimonochromatic solutions. A reduction of the problem to the classification of solutions of these elliptic PDEs in the entire space is performed, and de Giorgi type uniqueness results are proved in this particular case, concluding the uniqueness of the mKdV breather, and the nonexistence of localized smooth breathers in the ZK case. No assumption on well-posedness is made, and the size of the nonlinearity is arbitrary.
