Discrete light propagation and self-trapping in liquid crystals

Fratalocchi, Andrea; Assanto, Gaetano; Brzdakiewicz, Kasia; Karpierz, Mirosław A.

doi:10.1364/opex.13.001808

Cited by 85 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…But probably the most important merit of nematicons is that several nonlinear optical phenomena can be investigated without the need for high peak-power pulsed laser sources, such as modulation instability [170][171][172] and discrete solitons. 173 …”

Section: Solitonsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Liquid-crystal photonic applications

2011

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Abstract. Liquid crystals are nowadays widely used in all types of display applications. However their unique electro-optic properties also make them a suitable material for nondisplay applications. We will focus on the use of liquid crystals in different photonic components: optical filters and switches, beam-steering devices, spatial light modulators, integrated devices based on optical waveguiding, lasers, and optical nonlinear components. Both the basic operating principles as well as the recent state-of-the art are discussed. C 2011 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).[ DOI: 10.1117/1.3565046] Subject terms: liquid crystals; photonic applications; review; liquid-crystal lasers; spatial light modulators; tunable lenses; nematicons; optical nonlinearity.Paper 100913SSR received Nov. 5, 2010; revised manuscript received Jan. 11, 2011; accepted for publication Jan. 13, 2011; published online Jun. 14, 2011. IntroductionLiquid crystals (LCs) are organic materials that are liquid but that show a certain degree of ordering (positional and/or orientational). With this definition, many materials can be classified as liquid crystals, but the majority of liquid crystals that are used in photonic applications are of the thermotropic type. Thermotropic means that the liquid-crystal phase exists within a certain temperature interval (in contrast to lyotropic materials for which the material is liquid-crystal within a certain concentration range). Various types of thermotropic liquid-crystal materials exist, and many different mesophases have been discovered in the last decades: nematic, smectic A, smectic C, columnar, blue phases, and many many more. The diversity of liquid-crystal materials is huge, but this diversity is even overshadowed by the number of applications in which liquid crystals are used nowadays. The majority of applications are related to informationdisplay applications. Liquid crystals have conquered the major market share in different display application areas: television screens, laptop screens, screens in mobile phones, etc. Only in projection displays does a tough competitor exist, namely microelectromechanical systems or licenced by Texas Instruments: Digital light processing. Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) are the obvious next generation technology that could overtake the LC domination, but today OLED displays have not penetrated the market and only the future will tell if they will. In this review article, we will focus on nondisplay applications, but because we cannot go too broad, we restrict ourselves to photonic applications in which the light is actively manipulated by the LC. In this review article, a certain external influence (surface anchoring, electric fields, optical fields) is used to (re)orient the LC in a certain way. In turn, the LC then changes the light that is propagating through it. Of course, as in every review article, it is impossible to list all the fascinating new scientific results or breakthroughs. Therefore, the authors apologize for not i...

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Section: Solitonsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Liquid-crystal photonic applications

2011

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“…Moreover, the electro-optic and all-optical response of NLC permits the design and realization of fully tunable architectures. Linear and nonlinear phenomena, including discrete diffraction and discrete solitons [26,27], as well as nonlinear angular steering [27,28] multiband vector breathers [29] and Bloch oscillations [30] have been previously reported by us in such voltage-controlled NLC arrays.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 73%

Light induced angular steering via Floquet-Bloch band-tunnelling in one-dimensional liquid crystalline photonic lattices

Fratalocchi

Rutkowska

Karpierz

et al. 2007

Opto-Electronics Review

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“…Discrete nonlinear propagation of light, including discrete generation of solitons, has been already demonstrated in the case of waveguide arrays realized in different materials [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17], including NLC cells with periodic modulation of refractive index [17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nonlinear effects in photonic crystal fibers filled with nematic liquid crystals

et al. 2008

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Abstract:We have investigated the nonlinear propagation of light in photonic crystal fibers filled with nematic liquid crystals. We analyzed a configuration with a periodic modulation of the refractive index corresponding to a matrix of waveguides. Matrices of coupled waveguides allow observing a variety of new phenomena both for low power light beam propagation and with an existence of nonlinear effects. The opportunity for the creation of solitary waves caused by the interplay between diffraction and nonlinear effects in these kinds of fibers is investigated. At low power the propagating light beam spreads as it couples to more and more waveguides. When the intensity is increased the light modifies the refractive index distribution, inducing a defect in the periodic structure. The creation of such a defect can lead to a situation in which the light becomes self-localized and its diffractive broadening is eliminated. Eventually, in the case of positive Kerr-type nonlinearity, a discrete soliton can be created. In the case of negative nonlinearity the refractive index decreases with the optical power and can lead to bandgap shifting. The incident beam, with a frequency initially within the bandgap, is then turned outside the bandgap resulting in the changing of the propagation effect for the discrete diffraction effect. As a consequence the delocalization of the light can be observed. PACS

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Discrete light propagation and self-trapping in liquid crystals

Cited by 85 publications

References 35 publications

Liquid-crystal photonic applications

Liquid-crystal photonic applications

Light induced angular steering via Floquet-Bloch band-tunnelling in one-dimensional liquid crystalline photonic lattices

Nonlinear effects in photonic crystal fibers filled with nematic liquid crystals

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