Author: ["Marco Peccianti","Andriy Dyadyusha","Malgosia Kaczmarek","Gaetano Assanto"]
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Abstract
Light filaments or optical spatial solitons are self-confined (non-spreading) beams that originate from the balance between diffraction and self-focusing in nonlinear optical media (those with a response dependent on the level of excitation)1,2,3. Owing to their ability to self-trap as well as to guide weaker signals (even if differing in colour or modulation format) within the waveguides or ‘light-pipes’ they induce, optical spatial solitons could form the basis of future all-optical processing networks4,5. One of the most interesting challenges in soliton propagation and engineering concerns light filaments incident on linear/nonlinear or nonlinear/nonlinear interfaces. Here we report the robust propagation, refraction and reflection of optical spatial solitons at the interface between two regions of a nematic liquid crystal. The ability to independently tune the optical properties of each region enables us to steer the beams by refraction and total internal reflection by as much as −18 and +22 degrees, respectively. Moreover, the extended (nonlocal) and anisotropic response of our system supports polarization healing of the solitons across the interface as well as non-specular filament reflection. Finally, exploiting the inherent and all-optically tunable birefringence, we demonstrate unprecedented nonlinear Goos–Hänchen lateral shifts in excess of 0.5 mm.Cite this article
Peccianti, M., Dyadyusha, A., Kaczmarek, M. et al. Tunable refraction and reflection of self-confined light beams. Nature Phys 2, 737–742 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys427 