Nonlocal soliton scattering in random potentials

Piccardi, Armando; Residori, Stefania; Assanto, Gaetano

doi:10.1088/2040-8978/18/7/07lt01

Cited by 13 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…The latter response provides a low-power mechanism for nonlinear optics [19] and light localization into self-confined lightbeams, the so-called "nematicons" [20]. Nematicons are bright spatial solitons (solitary waves) which are stable in two transverse dimensions due to the nonlocal response associated with the elastic intermolecular links in the liquid state [21,22]; they support graded-index waveguides able to confine additional (incoherent) signals/beams of different wavelengths as well as powers and profiles [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30], are robust against refractive index perturbations [31-35] and collisional interactions [36][37][38]. Aided by nematicons, reorientational and electronic nonlinear responses, characterized by distinct time-and power-scales, can synergystically be combined [39,40].…”

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confidence: 99%

Soliton-assisted random lasing in optically-pumped liquid crystals

Perumbilavil

Piccardi

Buchnev

et al. 2016

Applied Physics Letters

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We demonstrate a novel random laser configuration by exploiting the coexistence of optical gain and light self-localization in a reorientational nonlinear medium. A spatial soliton launched by a near-infrared beam in dye-doped nematic liquid crystals enhances and confines stimulated emission of visible light in the optically-pumped gain-medium, yielding random lasing with enhanced features.In random lasers, a disordered distribution of scattering centers provides the required feedback for oscillations in optically amplifying media. In recent years they have attracted a great deal of attention, mainly due to the versatility stemming from cavity-less geometries and the ease of realization [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. In liquid crystals, suitable dopants can provide the gain action through optical pumping, while optical birefringence in conjunction with intense fluctuations of the dielectric tensor yield the required recurrent multiple scattering for random resonances to occur [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. In the nematic phase, moreover, liquid crystals are positive uniaxial materials subject to optic axis reorientation under the action of electric fields, either at low or optical frequencies [18]. The latter response provides a low-power mechanism for nonlinear optics [19] and light localization into self-confined lightbeams, the so-called "nematicons" [20]. Nematicons are bright spatial solitons (solitary waves) which are stable in two transverse dimensions due to the nonlocal response associated with the elastic intermolecular links in the liquid state [21,22]; they support graded-index waveguides able to confine additional (incoherent) signals/beams of different wavelengths as well as powers and profiles [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30], are robust against refractive index perturbations [31-35] and collisional interactions [36][37][38]. Aided by nematicons, reorientational and electronic nonlinear responses, characterized by distinct time-and power-scales, can synergystically be combined [39,40]. Owing to their large numerical aperture [41], nematicon waveguides solitons have also been employed in experiments involving incoherent light generation by fluorescence [42] or amplified spontaneous emission [43], offering a means to better collect and couple the emitted light into optical fibers.In this Letter we demonstrate a novel example of synergy between diverse nonlinear responses: the combination of spatial solitons and random lasing into a "nematicon random laser", whereby a low-power self-confined beam provides a guided-wave landscape for the stimu- * assanto@uniroma3.it lated emission induced by collinear optical pumping of dye-doped nematic liquid crystals (NLC).Several benefits can be expected from adopting such light-induced guided-wave configuration for random lasing. At variance with standard thin film geometries, the thick NLC cell provides an extended volume where optical pumping can produce fluorescence and, in turn, stimulated emission and lasing action via random scattering and feedback. The la...

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confidence: 99%

Soliton-assisted random lasing in optically-pumped liquid crystals

Perumbilavil

Piccardi

Buchnev

et al. 2016

Applied Physics Letters

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“…While a slow response needs be evaluated with reference to the excitation dynamics in time, temporal nonlocality is often a limiting factor when dealing with optical signal processing. Additional limitations imposed by a nonlocal response in the spatial domain include changes in the collisional be-havior of spatial solitons in random potentials 152,153,154 , transverse instabilities of self-guided beams under elastic forces 155 , etc.…”

Section: A Few Shortcomings Of Nonlocalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Highly nonlocal optical response: Benefit or drawback?

Smyth

Piccardi

Alberucci

et al. 2016

J. Nonlinear Optic. Phys. Mat.

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A highly nonlocal optical response in space has been shown to heal several shortcomings of beam self-action in nonlinear optics. At the same time, nonlocality is often connected to limits and constraints in both temporal and spatial domains. We provide a brief and rather subjective review of what we consider the main benefits and some drawbacks of a highly nonlocal response in light localization through nonlinear optics, with several examples related to reorientational soft matter, specifically nematic liquid crystals.

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“…Optical solitons can be found in both local and nonlocal nonlinear media. Compar ed to local nonlinearity, nonlocal nonlinearity supports not only fundamental solitons including bright solitons [26][27][28] and dark solitons [29,30], but also the solitons with complex structures, such as multipole solitons [31,32], vortex solitons [33] and vector solitons [34,35]. In practice, several kinds of material that exhibit the nonlocal nonlinear response are demonstrated to support solitons, such as nematic liquid crystal [26,27,36], thermal nonlinear liquid [37], lead glass [38,39] and so on.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Asymmetric propagation of solitons in nonlinear media with gradual nonlocality

Weng¹,

Chen²,

Tang³

et al. 2020

J. Opt.

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We investigate the propagation of solitons in homogeneous nonlocal nonlinear media and in media with gradual nonlinear nonlocality. We calculate the width and the maximum amplitude of solitons during propagation and demonstrate that solitons will propagate asymmetrically in the medium with gradual nonlinear nonlocality. Moreover, the propagation of solitons in the nonlinear medium with gradual nonlocality is independent of the forms of monotonically gradual nonlocalities. Finally, we investigate the ratio of width magnification quantitatively and demonstrate that the soliton with a particular input power maintains its width in one direction and suffers strong expansion in another direction.

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Nonlocal soliton scattering in random potentials

Cited by 13 publications

References 34 publications

Soliton-assisted random lasing in optically-pumped liquid crystals

Soliton-assisted random lasing in optically-pumped liquid crystals

Highly nonlocal optical response: Benefit or drawback?

Asymmetric propagation of solitons in nonlinear media with gradual nonlocality

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