scholarly journals Supermode spatial solitons via competing nonlocal nonlinearities

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pawel Stanislaw Jung ◽  
Miroslaw Karpierz ◽  
Marek Trippenbach ◽  
Demetrios Christodoulides ◽  
Wieslaw Krolikowski
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
Soft Matter ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystals ◽  
Power Level ◽  
Optical Solitons ◽  
Spatial Soliton ◽  
Spatial Solitons ◽  
Quantum Electron ◽  
Spatial Optical Solitons ◽  
Nonlocal Nonlinearities

We study spatial soliton formation in a system with competing nonlinearities. In doing so, we consider a specific nonlinear response that involves both focusing and defocusing nonlocal contributions. We demonstrate that at a sufficiently high input power level, the interplay between these nonlocal nonlinearities may lead to the formation of in-phase, two-hump, fundamental spatial solitons. The conditions required for the existence of these two-peak spatial solitons are also presented. Full Text: PDF ReferencesG. Stegeman and M. Segev, "Optical Spatial Solitons and Their Interactions: Universality and Diversity", Science 286, 1518 (1999). CrossRef Y. Kivshar and G. P. Agrawal, Optical Solitons: From Fibers to Photonic Crystals (Academic, San Diego, 2003).P. Varatharajah et al., "Stationary nonlinear surface waves and their stability in diffusive Kerr media", Opt. Lett. 13, 690 (1988). CrossRef G. Assanto and M. Peccianti, "Spatial solitons in nematic liquid crystals," IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 39, 13 (2003). CrossRef G. Assanto, ed. Nematicons: Spatial Optical Solitons in Nematic Liquid Crystals (Wiley, 2012). CrossRef O. Bang, W. Krolikowski, J. Wyller, J.J. Rasmussen, "Collapse arrest and soliton stabilization in nonlocal nonlinear media", Phys. Rev. E 66, 046619 (2002). CrossRef X. Hutsebaut, C. Cambournac, M. Haelterman, A. Adamski, K. Neyts, "Single-component higher-order mode solitons in liquid crystals," Opt. Commun. 333, 211 (2004). CrossRef C. Conti, M. Peccianti, and G. Assanto, "Route to nonlocality and observation of accessible solitons," Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 073901 (2003). CrossRef U. A. Laudyn, P. S. Jung, M.A. Karpierz, and G. Assanto, "Quasi two-dimensional astigmatic solitons in soft chiral metastructures," Sci. Rep. 6, 22923 (2016). CrossRef U. A. Laudyn, P. S. Jung, M. A. Karpierz, G. Assanto, "Power-induced evolution and increased dimensionality of nonlinear modes in reorientational soft matter," Opt. Lett. 39(22), 6399–6402 (2014). CrossRef Y. V. Izdebskaya, V. G. Shvedov, P. S. Jung, and W. Krolikowski, "Stable vortex soliton in nonlocal media with orientational nonlinearity," Opt. Lett. 43, 66-69 (2018) CrossRef P.S. Jung, W. Krolikowski, U.A. Laudyn, M. Trippenbach and M.A. Karpierz, "Supermode spatial optical solitons in liquid crystals with competing nonlinearities", Phys. Rev. A 95, 023820 (2017) CrossRef P.S. Jung, W. Krolikowski, U.A. Laudyn, M.A. Karpierz and M. Trippenbach, "Semi-analytical approach to supermode spatial solitons formation in nematic liquid crystals", Opt. Express 25, 23893 (2017) CrossRef S. Jungling and J. C. Chen, "A study and optimization of eigenmode calculations using the imaginary-distance beam-propagation method", IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 30, 2098 (1994). CrossRef P.S. Jung, K. Rutkowska and M.A. Karpierz, "Evanescent field boundary conditions for modelling of light propagation", Journal of Computational Science 25, 115 (2018) CrossRef A.A. Hardy, W. Streifer, "Coupled mode theory of parallel waveguides," IEEE J. Lightwave Techn. LT-3, 1135 (1985) CrossRef M. Matuszewski, B.A. Malomed, and M. Trippenbach, "Spontaneous symmetry breaking of solitons trapped in a double channel potential," Phys. Rev. A 75, 063621 (2007) CrossRef

scholarly journals Beam splitting in chiral nematic liquid crystals

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
Filip Sala
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystal ◽  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystal ◽  
Soft Matter ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystals ◽  
Beam Propagation Method ◽  
Beam Propagation ◽  
Optical Solitons ◽  
Molecular Reorientation ◽  
Chiral Nematic

By lunching the beam into the chiral nematic liquid crystals it is possible to achieve a non-diffractive beam similar to a soliton. This effect is caused by the molecular reorientation i.e. nonlinear response of the material forming the areas of higher refractive index. Diffraction is suppressed by the focusing effect. For appropriate launching conditions it is also possible to achieve a beam which splits into two or more separate beams. Such phenomenon is discussed in this article and analyzed theoretical. To model this effect Fully Vectorial Beam Propagation Method coupled with the Frank-Oseen elastic theory is used. Simulations are performed for various input beam powers, widths, polarization angles and launching positions. Full Text: PDF ReferencesG. Assanto and M. A. Karpierz, "Nematicons: self-localised beams in nematic liquid crystals", Liq. Cryst. 36, 1161–1172 (2009) CrossRef G. Assanto, Nematicons: Spatial Optical Solitons in Nematic Liquid Crystals, John Wiley & Sons Inc. Hoboken, New Jersey (2013) DirectLink A. Piccardi, A. Alberucci, U. Bortolozzo, S. Residori, and G. Assanto, "Soliton gating and switching in liquid crystal light valve", Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 071104 (2010). CrossRef D. Melo, I. Fernandes, F. Moraes, S. Fumeron, and E. Pereira, "Thermal diode made by nematic liquid crystal", Phys. Lett. A 380, 3121 – 3127 (2016). CrossRef U. Laudyn, M. Kwaśny, F. A. Sala, M. A. Karpierz, N. F. Smyth, G. Assanto, "Curved optical solitons subject to transverse acceleration in reorientational soft matter", Sci. Rep. 7, 12385 (2017) CrossRef M. Kwaśny, U. A. Laudyn, F. A. Sala, A. Alberucci, M. A. Karpierz, G. Assanto, "Self-guided beams in low-birefringence nematic liquid crystals", Phys. Rev. A 86, 013824 (2012) CrossRef F. A. Sala, M. M. Sala-Tefelska, "Optical steering of mutual capacitance in a nematic liquid crystal cell", J. Opt. Soc. Am. B. 35, 133-139 (2018) CrossRef U. A. Laudyn, A. Piccardi, M. Kwasny, M. A. Karpierz, G. Assanto, "Thermo-optic soliton routing in nematic liquid crystals", Opt. Lett. 43, 2296-2299 (2018) CrossRef F. A. Sala, M. M. Sala-Tefelska, M. J. Bujok, J. "Influence of temperature diffusion on molecular reorientation in nematic liquid crystals", Nonlinear Opt. Phys. Mater. 27, 1850011 (2018) CrossRef I-C Khoo Liquid crystals John Wiley & Sons, Inc (2007) DirectLink P. G. de Gennes, J. Prost, The Physics of Liquid Crystals, Clarendon Press (1995) DirectLink U. A. Laudyn, P. S. Jung, M. A. Karpierz, G. Assanto, "Quasi two-dimensional astigmatic solitons in soft chiral metastructures", Sci. Rep. 6, 22923 (2016) CrossRef J. Beeckman, A. Madani, P. J. M. Vanbrabant, P. Henneaux, S-P. Gorza, M. Haelterman, "Switching and intrinsic position bistability of soliton beams in chiral nematic liquid crystals", Phys. Rev. A 83, 033832 (2011) CrossRef A. Madani, J. Beeckman, K. Neyts, "An experimental observation of a spatial optical soliton beam and self splitting of beam into two soliton beams in chiral nematic liquid crystal", Opt. Commun. 298–299, 222-226, (2013) CrossRef G. D. Ziogos, E. E. Kriezis, "Modeling light propagation in liquid crystal devices with a 3-D full-vector finite-element beam propagation method", Opt. Quant. Electron 40, 10 (2008) CrossRef F. A. Sala, M. A. Karpierz, "Chiral and nonchiral nematic liquid-crystal reorientation induced by inhomogeneous electric fields", J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 29, 1465-1472 (2012) CrossRef F. A. Sala, M. A. Karpierz, "Modeling of molecular reorientation and beam propagation in chiral and non-chiral nematic liquid crystals", Opt. Express 20, 13923-13938 (2012) CrossRef F. A. Sala, "Design of false color palettes for grayscale reproduction", Displays, 46, 9-15 (2017) CrossRef

HIGHLY NONLOCAL OPTICAL SOLITONS AND THEIR OBSERVATION IN NEMATIC LIQUID CRYSTALS

2004 ◽  
Vol 18 (20n21) ◽  
pp. 2819-2828 ◽  
Author(s):  
GAETANO ASSANTO ◽  
CLAUDIO CONTI ◽  
MARCO PECCIANTI
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
General Theory ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystals ◽  
Optical Solitons ◽  
Spatial Solitons ◽  
Specific System ◽  
Arbitrary Degree ◽  
Self Focusing ◽  
Remarkable Agreement

We investigate 2-dimensional spatial optical solitons in media exhibiting a large nonlocal response coupled with a self-focusing nonlinearity. To this extent, with reference to a specific system in undoped nematic liquid crystals, we develop a general theory of spatial solitons in media with an arbitrary degree of nonlocality and carry out experimental observations to validate the model. The remarkable agreement between predictions and data yields evidence of narrow-waist solitons, revealing an important connection between nonparaxiality and nonlocality and emphasizing the role of nonlocality.

Spatial routing with light-induced waveguides in uniaxial nematic liquid crystals

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (04) ◽  
pp. 1450047 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filip A. Sala ◽  
Mirosław A. Karpierz ◽  
Gaetano Assanto
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
Soft Matter ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystals ◽  
Optical Solitons ◽  
Guided Wave ◽  
Optic Axis ◽  
Inhomogeneous Distribution ◽  
Input Beam ◽  
Beam Position ◽  
Graded Index

In reorientational soft-matter with uniaxial character, such as nematic liquid crystals (NLCs), self-confined beams into spatial optical solitons are graded-index waveguides subject to birefringent walkoff. We investigate a router to be realized in a planar cell with an inhomogeneous distribution of the optic axis. Based on the input beam position, the proposed demultiplexer can direct the soliton and the copolarized guided-wave signal(s) to various output ports, enhancing the transverse separation of the exit channels and therefore minimizing crosstalk. Both the soliton and the signal(s) maintain their phasefronts normal to launch and exit wavevectors, allowing for excellent coupling into output channels/fibers at the device exit.

Nematic liquid crystals: An excellent playground for nonlocal nonlinear light localization in soft matter

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (04) ◽  
pp. 1450046 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Alberucci ◽  
Gaetano Assanto ◽  
J. Michael L. MacNeil ◽  
Noel F. Smyth
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
Solitary Waves ◽  
Soft Matter ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystals ◽  
Approximate Solutions ◽  
Spatial Solitons ◽  
Light Localization ◽  
Optical Spatial Solitons ◽  
Nonlocal Media ◽  
Nonlocal Nonlinear

The study of optical spatial solitons in nematic liquid crystals (NLC) has greatly improved the understanding of light localization in reorientational nonlocal media. We report some of the latest progress with reference to bright and dark solitary waves in NLC, bright and dark nematicons, discussing models and methods for their description and simulation. We give an account of exact and approximate solutions, as well as nematicon bistability.

scholarly journals Spatial Optical Solitons in Bulk Nematic Liquid Crystals

2003 ◽  
Vol 103 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 161-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Assanto ◽  
M. Peccianti ◽  
C. Conti
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystals ◽  
Optical Solitons ◽  
Spatial Optical Solitons

scholarly journals Emergence and stabilization of transient twisted defect structures in confined achiral liquid crystals at a phase transition.

Soft Matter ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose X Velez ◽  
Zhaofei Zheng ◽  
Daniel A. Beller ◽  
Francesca Serra
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transition ◽  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
Soft Matter ◽  
Capillary Tube ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystals ◽  
Defect Structures

Spontaneous emergence of chirality is a pervasive theme in soft matter. We report a transient twist forming in achiral nematic liquid crystals confined to a capillary tube with square cross...

Incoherent spatial solitons in nematic liquid crystals

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.G. Makris ◽  
H. Sarkissian ◽  
D.N. Christodoulides ◽  
G. Assanto
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystals ◽  
Spatial Solitons

scholarly journals Three-color vector nematicon

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Urszula Anna Laudyn ◽  
Michał Kwaśny ◽  
Mirosław Karpierz ◽  
Gaetano Assanto
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
Solitary Waves ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystals ◽  
Spatial Solitons ◽  
Curvature Effects ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Color Vector ◽  
Optical Spatial Solitons ◽  
Nonlocal Media

Light localization via reorientation in nematic liquid crystals supports multi-component optical spatial solitons, i.e., vector nematicons. By launching three optical beams of different wavelengths and the same input polarization in a bias-free planar cell, we demonstrate a three-color vector nematicon which is self-trapped thanks to its incoherent nature. Full Text: PDF ReferencesG. I. Stegeman and M. Segev, "Optical Spatial Solitons and Their Interactions: Universality and Diversity", Science 286 (5444), 1518 (1999) CrossRef W. Królikowski and O. Bang, "Solitons in nonlocal nonlinear media: Exact solutions", Phys. Rev. E 63, 016610 (2000) CrossRef D. Suter and T. Blasberg, "Stabilization of transverse solitary waves by a nonlocal response of the nonlinear medium", Phys. Rev. A 48, 4583 (1993) CrossRef G. Assanto and M. Peccianti, "Spatial solitons in nematic liquid crystals", IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 39 (1), 13 (2003). CrossRef G. Assanto and M. Karpierz, "Nematicons: self-localised beams in nematic liquid crystals", Liq. Cryst. 36 (10), 1161 (2009) CrossRef M. Peccianti and G. Assanto, "Nematicons", Phys. Rep. 516, 147 (2012). CrossRef M. Peccianti and G. Assanto, "Incoherent spatial solitary waves in nematic liquid crystals", Opt. Lett. 26 (22), 1791 (2001) CrossRef M. Peccianti and G. Assanto, "Nematic liquid crystals: A suitable medium for self-confinement of coherent and incoherent light", Phys. Rev. E Rap. Commun. 65, 035603 (2002) CrossRef G. Assanto, M. Peccianti, C. Umeton, A. De Luca and I. C. Khoo, "Coherent and Incoherent Spatial Solitons in Bulk Nematic Liquid Crystals", Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 375, 617 (2002) CrossRef A. Alberucci, M. Peccianti, G. Assanto, A. Dyadyusha and M. Kaczmarek, "Two-Color Vector Solitons In Nonlocal Media", Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 153903 (2006) CrossRef G. Assanto, N. F. Smyth and A. L. Worthy, "Two-color, nonlocal vector solitary waves with angular momentum in nematic liquid crystals", Phys. Rev. A 78 (1), 013832 (2008) CrossRef G. Assanto, K. Garcia-Reimbert, A. A. Minzoni, N. F. Smyth and A. Worthy, "Lagrange solution for three wavelength solitary wave clusters in nematic liquid crystals", Physica D 240, 1213 (2011) CrossRef G. Assanto, A. A. Minzoni and N. F. Smyth, "Vortex confinement and bending with nonlocal solitons", Opt. Lett. 39 (3), 509 (2014) CrossRef G. Assanto, A. A. Minzoni and N. F. Smyth, "Deflection of nematicon-vortex vector solitons in liquid crystals", Phys. Rev. A 89, 013827 (2014) CrossRef G. Assanto and N. F. Smyth, "Soliton Aided Propagation and Routing of Vortex Beams in Nonlocal Media", J. Las. Opt. Photon. 1, 105 (2014) CrossRef Y. V. Izdebskaya, G. Assanto and W. Krolikowski, "Observation of stable-vector vortex solitons", Opt. Lett. 40 (17), 4182 (2015) CrossRef Y. V. Izdebskaya, W. Krolikowski, N. F. Smyth and G. Assanto, "Vortex stabilization by means of spatial solitons in nonlocal media", J. Opt. 18 (5), 054006 (2016) CrossRef J. F. Henninot, J. Blach and M. Warenghem, "Experimental study of the nonlocality of spatial optical solitons excited in nematic liquid crystal", J. Opt. A 9, 20 (2007) CrossRef Y. V. Izdebskaya, V. G. Shvedov, A. S. Desyatnikov, W. Z. Krolikowski, M. Belic, G. Assanto and Y. S. Kivshar, "Counterpropagating nematicons in bias-free liquid crystals", Opt. Express 18 (4), 3258 (2010) CrossRef N. Karimi, A. Alberucci, M. Virkki, M. Kauranen and G. Assanto, "Phase-front curvature effects on nematicon generation", J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 5 (33), 903 (2016) CrossRef P. G. de Gennes and J. Prost, The Physics of Liquid Crystals, Oxford Science Publications (Clarendon Press, 2nd edition, 1993)I. C. Khoo, Liquid Crystals: Physical Properties and Nonlinear Optical Phenomena (Wiley, New York, 1995)A. Piccardi, M. Trotta, M. Kwasny, A. Alberucci, R. Asquini, M. Karpierz, A. d'Alessandro and G. Assanto, "Trends and trade-offs in nematicon propagation", Appl. Phys. B 104 (4), 805 (2011) CrossRef M. Kwasny, U. A. Laudyn, F. A. Sala, A. Alberucci, M. A. Karpierz and G. Assanto, "Self-guided beams in low-birefringence nematic liquid crystals", Phys. Rev. A 86 (1), 01382 (2012) CrossRef M. Peccianti, A. Fratalocchi and G. Assanto, "Transverse dynamics of nematicons", Opt. Express 12 (26), 6524 (2004) CrossRef C. Conti, M. Peccianti and G. Assanto, "Observation of Optical Spatial Solitons in a Highly Nonlocal Medium", Phys. Rev. Lett. 92 (11), 113902 (2004) CrossRef A. Alberucci, C.-P. Jisha and G. Assanto, "Breather solitons in highly nonlocal media", J. Opt. 18, 125501 (2016) CrossRef

Dynamics of Optical Solitons in Bias-Free Nematic Liquid Crystals

Nematicons ◽  
2012 ◽  
pp. 159-176
Author(s):  
Yana V. Izdebskaya ◽  
Anton S. Desyatnikov ◽  
Yuri S. Kivshar
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystals ◽  
Optical Solitons
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