Nematicon-enhanced spontaneous symmetry breaking

Abstract

We investigate topological and optical spontaneous symmetry breaking in nematic liquid crystals subject to the Fréedericksz transition. Specular nematicon states couple to mirrored distributions of the director due to symmetry breaking, with transverse velocities controlled by beam power in the strong nonlinear regime. Hysteresis in transverse velocity versus incidence angle is observed in the soliton regime.