Interactions in large arrays of solitons in photorefractive crystals

Abstract

Large two-dimensional spatial soliton arrays are generated experimentally and numerically in photorefractive media and their waveguiding properties at red and infrared wavelengths are demonstrated. An enhanced stability of solitonic lattices is achieved by exploiting the anisotropy of coherent soliton interaction and by controlling the relative phase between soliton rows. Manipulation of individual solitonic channels is accomplished by the use of separate control beams.

Structure analysis of two-dimensional nonlinear self-trapped photonic lattices in anisotropic photorefractive media

“…To analyze the structure of the induced refractive index change, two different methods can be used. The first method is given by observing the waveguiding properties of the lattice [9,10,11]. As the incident light pattern induces a periodic array of waveguides in the medium, illuminating the lattice with a broad plane wave leads to guiding of this wave and the output intensity pattern of the guided wave qualitatively maps the induced refractive index change.…”

Guiding of dynamically modulated signals in arrays of photorefractive spatial solitons

“…Parallel transmission of modulated signals in neighbouring solitary waveguides has been demonstrated to be a novel tool for all-optical systems. Steered interaction and fusion [4] in combination with waveguiding in red and infrared wavelength region [8] are the other necessary building blocks needed for integration of all-optical switching devices in telecommunication applications using optical spatial solitons in photorefractive media. As a result all-optical data communication more and more gets a possible application of devices based on photorefractive solitons.…”

“…Experiments on guiding beams of other wavelength in photorefractive solitons have been shown in [4,7,8]. In different soliton array configurations guiding of unmodulated beams with wavelengths 633 nm and 1.55 µm has already been studied.…”

“…The experimental realization of a complex configuration of photorefractive solitons used for information transport is based on earlier experiments [7,8]. The setup we are using for the experiments described in this article is shown in figure 1.…”

“…Before, waveguiding features of single Gaussian mode solitons have been investigated [5] and higher order solitons like vortices have been predicted [6]. Also, more complex structures like arrays of photorefractive solitons [7,8] and other materials than photorefractive crystals like organic photorefractive glasses or nematic liquid crystals [9,10] have been shown to guide light of different wavelengths. Lattices of solitons and more complex photonic structures are even able to exhibit band structures and can be investigated by excitation of Bloch waves (see [11,12] and references therein).…”