Open AccessCounterpropagating self-trapped beams in optical photonic lattices
Author(s) -
Milivoj R. Belić,
Dragana Jović,
Slobodan Prvanović,
D. Arsenović,
Milan S. Petrović
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/opex.14.000794
Subject(s) - physics , filamentation , optical vortex , angular momentum , vortex , light beam , optics , lattice (music) , optical lattice , photorefractive effect , beam (structure) , diffraction , topological quantum number , photonic crystal , photonics , condensed matter physics , laser , quantum mechanics , superfluidity , acoustics , thermodynamics
Dynamical properties of counterpropagating (CP) mutually incoherent self-trapped beams in optically induced photonic lattices are investigated numerically. A local model with saturable Kerr-like nonlinearity is adopted for the photorefractive media, and an optically generated two-dimensional fixed photonic lattice introduced in the crystal. Different incident beam structures are considered, such as Gaussians and vortices of different topological charge. We observe spontaneous symmetry breaking of the head-on propagating Gaussian beams as the coupling strength is increased, resulting in the splitup transition of CP components. We see discrete diffraction, leading to the formation of discrete CP vector solitons. In the case of vortices, we find beam filamentation, as well as increased stability of the central vortex ring. A strong pinning of filaments to the lattice sites is noted. The angular momentum of vortices is not conserved, either along the propagation direction or in time, and, unlike the case without lattice, the rotation of filaments is not as readily observed.