Spatial solitons in nematic liquid crystals
- 6 January 2003
- journal article
- Published by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics
- Vol. 39 (1) , 13-21
- https://doi.org/10.1109/jqe.2002.806185
Abstract
Nematic liquid crystals exhibit a saturable nonlinearity, nonlocal in time and in space, owing to light-induced reorientation of the molecular director. In such media, (2 + 1)-dimensional spatial solitons can be obtained at milliwatt-power levels and confine weaker co-polarized signals of different wavelengths, employing either coherent or partially incoherent excitations. Our experimental observations of solitons and related phenomena, ranging from angular steering to mutual interactions, are reviewed. Models are briefly discussed and used to predict and interpret the results.Keywords
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