Semidiscrete optical vortex droplets in quasi-phase-matched photonic crystals (original) (raw)

Observation of discrete vortex solitons in optically induced photonic lattices

Physical review letters, 2004

We report on the first experimental observation of discrete vortex solitons in two-dimensional optically induced photonic lattices. We demonstrate strong stabilization of an optical vortex by the lattice in a self-focusing nonlinear medium and study the generation of the discrete vortices from a broad class of singular beams.

Optical vortices in waveguides with discrete and continuous rotational symmetry

Journal of the European Optical Society-Rapid Publications

Coherent vortex structures are fascinating physical objects that are widespread in nature: from large scale atmospheric phenomena, such as tornadoes and the Great Red Spot of Jupiter to microscopic size topological defects in quantum physics and optics. Unlike classical vortex dynamics in fluids, optical vortices feature new interesting properties. For instance, novel discrete optical vortices can be generated in photonic lattices, leading to new physics. In nonlinear optical media, vortices can be treated as solitons with nontrivial characteristics currently studied under the emerging field of topological photonics. Parallel to theoretical advances, new areas of the engineering applications based on light vortices have emerged. Examples include the possibility of carrying information coded in the vortex orbital angular momentum, understood as a spatial-division-multiplexing scheme, to the creation of optical tweezers for efficient manipulation of small objects. This report presents...

Partially Incoherent Optical Vortices in Self-Focusing Nonlinear Media

Physical Review Letters, 2004

We observe stable propagation of spatially localized single- and double-charge optical vortices in a self-focusing nonlinear medium. The vortices are created by self-trapping of partially incoherent light carrying a phase dislocation, and they are stabilized when the spatial incoherence of light exceeds a certain threshold. We confirm the vortex stabilization effect by numerical simulations and also show that the similar mechanism of stabilization applies to higher-order vortices.