Observation of Optical Soliton-Like Propagation in Dye-Doped Nematic Liquid Crystals with Homogeneous Alignment

Abstract:

Nonlinear light propagation in a dye-doped liquid crystal (LC) was investigated experimentally. A laser beam with wavelength far from the absorption peak of the material was coupled into an LC cell with homogeneous alignment, and the propagation in the cell was observed. When the polarization azimuth of the incident light was orthogonal to the orientation direction of the LC, soliton-like propagation was obtained for milliwatts of light power in spite of the low absorption. We clarified that the observed nonlinearity is due principally to the photothermal effect enhanced by the dye.

• Periodical: Key Engineering Materials (Volume 596)
• Pages: 139-143
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.596.139
• Online since: December 2013
• Authors: Tomoyuki Sasaki, Kenta Miura, Osamu Hanaizumi, Nobuhiro Kawatsuki, Hiroshi Ono
• Keywords: Liquid Crystal, Photothermal Effect, Spatial Optical Soliton

References

[1] G. I. Stegeman and M. Segev: Science Vol. 286 (1999), p.1518.

[2] G. I. A. Stgeman, N. Christodoulides and M. Segev: IEEE J. Selected Topics Quantum Electron. Vol. 6 (2000), p.1419.

[3] A. V. Buryak, P. Di Trapani, D. V. Skryabin and S. Trillo: Phys. Rep. Vol. 370 (2002), p.63.

[4] M. Peccianti, K. A. Brzdąkiewicz and G. Assanto: Opt. Lett. Vol. 27 (2002), p.1460.

[5] M. A. Karpierz: Phys. Rev. E Vol. 66 (2002), p.036603.

[6] C. Conti, M. Peccianti and G. Assanto: Phys. Rev. Lett. Vol. 91 (2003), p.073901.

[7] G. Assanto and M. Peccianti: IEEE J. Quantum Electron. Vol. 39 (2003), p.13.

[8] J. Beeckman, K. Neyts, X. Hutsebaut, C. Cambournac and M. Haelterman: Opt. Express Vol. 12 (2004), p.1011.

DOI: 10.1364/opex.12.001011

[9] M. Peccianti, C. Conti, G. Assant, A. De Luca and C. Umeton: Nature Vol. 432 (2004), p.733.

[10] C. C. M. Peccianti and G. Assanto: Phys. Rev. Lett. Vol. 92 (2004), p.113902.

[11] X. Hutsebaut, C. Cambournac, M. Haelterman, A. Adamski and K. Neyts: Opt. Commun. Vol. 233 (2004), p.211.

DOI: 10.1016/j.optcom.2004.01.040

[12] A. Pasquazi, A. Alberucci, M. Peccianti and G. Assanto: Appl. Phys. Lett. Vol. 87 (2005), p.261104.

DOI: 10.1063/1.2158026

[13] G. Assanto, A. Fratalocchi and M. Peccianti: Opt. Express Vol. 15 (2007), p.5248.

[14] Y. Izdebskaya, V. Shvedov, A. Desyatnikov, W. Krolikowski, G. Assanto and Y. Kivshar: J. Eur. Opt. Soc. - Rapid Publ. Vol. 5 (2010), p.10008.

DOI: 10.2971/jeos.2010.10008

[15] A. Piccardi, A. Alberucci, U. Bortolozzo, S. Residori and G. Assanto: Appl. Phys. Lett. Vol. 96 (2010), p.071104.

DOI: 10.1063/1.3301261

[16] I. C. Khoo: Liquid Crystals: Physical Properties and Nonlinear Optical Phenomena (Wiley, New York 1995).

[17] F. Simoni: Nonlinear Optical Properties of Liquid Crystals and Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals (World Scientific, Singapore 1997).

DOI: 10.1142/2343

[18] I. C. Khoo: Phys. Rep. Vol. 471 (2009), p.221.

[19] H. Ono, M. Yoshida and T. Morisaki: Opt. Commun. Vol. 211 (2002), p.309.

[20] T. Morisaki and H. Ono: J. Appl. Phys. Vol. 95 (2004), p.3279.

[21] P. Yeh and C. Gu: Optics of Liquid Crystal Displays (Wiley, New York 1999).

[22] H. Ono and K. Shibata: Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. Vol. 42 (2003), p.186.