Open AccessNematicons in planar cells subject to the optical Fréedericksz threshold
Author(s) -
Alessandro Alberucci,
Nina Kravets,
Armando Piccardi,
Oleksandr Buchnev,
Malgosia Kaczmarek,
Gaetano Assanto
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.22.030663
Subject(s) - bistability , liquid crystal , planar , optics , excitation , optical bistability , nonlinear optics , materials science , beam (structure) , photonics , nonlinear system , light beam , optoelectronics , physics , laser , computer graphics (images) , quantum mechanics , computer science
We investigate, both theoretically and experimentally, self-trapping of light beams in nematic liquid crystals arranged so as to exhibit the optical Fréedericksz transition in planar cells. The resulting threshold in the nonlinear reorientational response supports a bistable behavior between diffracting and self-localized beam states, leading to the appearance of a hysteretic loop versus input excitation. Our results confirm the role of nematic liquid crystals in the study of non-perturbative nonlinear photonics.