Abstract
We investigate linear and nonlinear light propagation in a voltage-tunable array of waveguide channels in undoped nematic liquid crystals. This novel geometry, based on a photonic structure with a periodic modulation of refractive index controlled by an electric field, offers a wealth of possibilities for the study of discrete optical phenomena. The structure, in conjunction with a giant, non-resonant and voltage-dependent reorientational nonlinearity, allows us to drive the system from bulk diffraction to discrete propagation. Theoretical and experimental investigations, carried out with near infrared light wavelength and powers of a few milliWatts, show the possibility of transverse light localization, resulting in discrete spatial solitons. Such array, with its voltage- and light-adjustable guided-wave confinement and coupling, exhibits potentials for the realization of multifunctional routers and all-optical signal processors with nematic liquid crystals.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 107-112 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Opto-electronics Review |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| State | Published - 2005 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Discrete diffraction
- Nonlinear optics
- Optical nonlinearity in liquid crystals
- Self-action effects
- Solitons
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Radiation
- General Materials Science
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering