Self-healing generation of spatial solitons in liquid crystals

A. Alberucci, M. Peccianti, G. Assanto, G. Coschignano, A. De Luca, and C. Umeton

Opt. Lett. 30, 1381-1383 (2005)

Abstract:

We demonstrate that, in suitably designed cells with undoped nematic liquid crystals, extraordinary-wave spatial solitons can be excited at every applied voltage without adjustments in the input polarization. Their walk-off, hence direction of propagation, is externally controlled over angles as large as 7°. The results pave the way not only to polarization-forgiving generation but also to voltage readdressing of these extraordinary-wave nematicons.