Nonlinear effects in photonic crystal fibers filled with nematic liquid crystals (original) (raw)

Linear and nonlinear properties of photonic crystal fibers filled with nematic liquid crystals

Opto-Electronics Review, 2006

We investigate linear and nonlinear light propagation in the photonic crystal fibers infiltrated with nematic liquid crystals. Such a photonic structure, with periodic modulation of refractive index, which could be additionally controlled by the temperature and by the optical power, allows for the study of discrete optical phenomena. Our theoretical investigations, carried out with the near infrared wavelength of 830 nm, for both focusing and defocusing Kerr-type nonlinearity, show the possibility of the transverse light localization, which can result in the discrete soliton generation. In addition, we present the preliminary experimental results on the linear light propagation in the photonic crystal fiber with the glycerin-water solution and 6CHBT nematics, as the guest materials.

Refraction of nonlinear beams by localized refractive index changes in nematic liquid crystals

Physical Review A, 2010

The propagation of solitary waves in nematic liquid crystals in the presence of localized nonuniformities is studied. These nonuniformities can be caused by external electric fields, other light beams, or any other mechanism which results in a modified director orientation in a localized region of the liquid-crystal cell. The net effect is that the solitary wave undergoes refraction and trajectory bending. A general modulation theory for this refraction is developed, and particular cases of circular, elliptical, and rectangular perturbations are considered. The results are found to be in excellent agreement with numerical solutions.

Propagation effects in photonic liquid crystal fibers

Proceedings of 2004 6th International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks (IEEE Cat. No.04EX804), 2004

Chiral nematic liquid crystals are very interesting materials to infiltrate photonic crystal fibers since they are characterized by unique optical properties such as selective Bragg reflection, circular dichroism, and optical activity. In this paper the latest experimental results of the photonic crystal fibers filled with new chiral nematic liquid crystals are presented. Spectral properties of the light propagating in the photonic liquid crystal fibers have been measured and analyzed.

REFRACTION OF NONLINEAR LIGHT BEAMS IN NEMATIC LIQUID CRYSTALS

Journal of Nonlinear Optical Physics & Materials, 2012

We use modulation theory to analyze the interaction of optical solitons and vortices with a dielectric interface between two regions of nematic liquid crystals. In the analysis we consider the role of nonlocality, anisotropy and nonlinear reorientation and compare modulation theory results with numerical results. Upon interacting with the interface, nematicons undergo transverse distortion but remain stable and eventually return to a steady state, whereas vortices experience an enhanced instability and can break up into bright beams or solitary waves.

Discrete Optical Solitons in Nematic Liquid Crystals

Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, 2004

In the paper we propose the realization of liquid crystals waveguide arrays, and introduce the concept of a periodic photonic structure with refractive index changes controlled by an electric field. Such a voltage-tunable geometry, in conjunction with a reorientational nonlinearity, offers a wealth of possibilities for the study of discrete optical phenomena. Theoretical and experimental results show the presence of

Low-loss propagation and continuously tunable birefringence in high-index photonic crystal fibers filled with nematic liquid crystals

Optics …, 2009

Experimental investigations of microstructured fibers filled with liquid crystals (LCs) have so far been performed only by using host fibers made of the silica glass. In this paper, the host photonic crystal fiber (PCF) was made of the PBG08 high-refractive index glass (~1.95) that is much higher than silica glass index (~1.46) and also higher then both ordinary and extraordinary refractive indices of the majority of LCs. As a result, low-loss and index-guiding propagation is observed regardless of the LC molecules orientation. Attenuation of the host PCF was measured to be ~0.15 dB/cm and for the PCF infiltrated with 5CB LC was slightly higher (~0.19 dB/cm), resulting in a significant reduction to ~0.04 dB/cm of the scattering losses caused by the LC. Moreover, an external transverse electric field applied to the effective photonic liquid crystal fiber (PLCF) allowed for continuous phase birefringence tuning from 0 to 2·10 −4 .

Light propagation in highly birefringent photonic liquid crystal fibers

Opto-Electronics Review, 2009

Theoretical analyses as well as experimental results of light propagation in a new microstructured photonic liquid crystal fiber (PLCF) are presented. The analyzed PLCF was composed of a commercially available highly birefringent (HB) photonic crystal fiber (PCF) infiltrated with a lowbirefringence nematic liquid crystal (LC) introduced into the selected micro-holes by the capillary effect.

Discrete propagation and spatial solitons in nematic liquid crystals

Optics Letters, 2004

We investigate, for the first time to our knowledge, the discrete propagation of near-infrared light in a voltage-controlled array of channel waveguides in undoped nematic liquid crystals under planar anchoring conditions. This novel geometry enables us to drive the system from one-dimensional bulk diffraction to discrete propagation and, for larger excitations, to discrete spatial solitons, or nematicons. The observed phenomena are adequately described by a scalar model that encompasses the voltage-dependent reorientational response of the material.

Linear and nonlinear light beam propagation in chiral nematic liquid crystal waveguides

Photonics Letters of Poland, 2016

We employ a thick layer of chiral nematic liquid crystals to demonstrate the evolution of a one-dimensional (1D) higher-order guided mode into a beam self-confined in both transverse dimensions at various wavelengths. We also report the experimental observation of higher-order modes guided by soliton-induced waveguides in chiral nematic liquid crystals.

Measurement of the self-induced waveguide of a solitonlike optical beam in a nematic liquid crystal

Journal of the Optical Society of America B, 2005

Using phase-measurement interferometry, we observe the waveguide induced by a solitonlike optical beam sustained by the molecular reorientation-induced optical nonlinearity of a nematic liquid crystal in planar configuration. Our purpose in the study is to characterize the nonlocality of the optical response of nematic liquid crystals. A good agreement is obtained between the experiment and a full ͑2+1͒-dimensional numerical simulation of the nonlinear optical beam propagation in the cell.