Optical propagation in nematic liquid crystals is characterized by a large and highly-nonlocal Kerr-like nonlinearity. We investigate the fundamental role played by spatial nonlocality in nonlinear optical propagation, and develop a model able to predict the main features of spatial solitons and modulational instability in nematic liquid crystals. The model unifies solitons in physical systems exhibiting different degrees of nonlocality, disclosing a connection between nonlocal solitons and parametric solitons in quadratic media. Finally, soliton breathing as well as other characteristics of nonlocal propagation are experimentally demonstrated in a specifically-engineered liquid crystal cell.
Nonlocal optical propagation in nonlinear nematic liquid crystals / Marco, Peccianti; Conti, Claudio; Gaetano, Assanto; Antonio De, Luca; Cesare, Umeton. - In: JOURNAL OF NONLINEAR OPTICAL PHYSICS AND MATERIALS. - ISSN 0218-8635. - STAMPA. - 12:4(2003), pp. 525-538. (Intervento presentato al convegno Topical Meeting on Novel Optical Materials and Applications tenutosi a CETRARO, ITALY nel 2003) [10.1142/s0218863503001626].
Nonlocal optical propagation in nonlinear nematic liquid crystals
CONTI, CLAUDIO;
2003
Abstract
Optical propagation in nematic liquid crystals is characterized by a large and highly-nonlocal Kerr-like nonlinearity. We investigate the fundamental role played by spatial nonlocality in nonlinear optical propagation, and develop a model able to predict the main features of spatial solitons and modulational instability in nematic liquid crystals. The model unifies solitons in physical systems exhibiting different degrees of nonlocality, disclosing a connection between nonlocal solitons and parametric solitons in quadratic media. Finally, soliton breathing as well as other characteristics of nonlocal propagation are experimentally demonstrated in a specifically-engineered liquid crystal cell.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
