Nonlinear mixing of optical vortices

S. Residori; U. Bortolozzo; F. Lenzini; F. T. Arecchi

doi:10.1117/12.909196

10 February 2012 Nonlinear mixing of optical vortices

S. Residori, U. Bortolozzo, F. Lenzini, F. T. Arecchi

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8274, Complex Light and Optical Forces VI; 82740T (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.909196
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2012, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

We present optical vortex beams interaction via degenerate two-wave mixing in liquid crystal light-valve, LCLV. The LCLV is made by combining a transparent photosensitive substrate with a nematic liquid crystal and displays a large Kerr-like effect. Being characterized by a large transverse size and spatial homogeneity, the LCLV allows performing nonlinear mixing experiments with several vortex beams and testing the interaction of different topological charges. We show that the wave-mixing occurring in the LCLV leads to the exchange of topological charge between vortex and to a cascaded generation of vortex beams. A mean-field model is developed and is shown to account for the charge selection rules observed after the mixing process. Fractional charges are demonstrated to participate to the wave-mixing in a robust way, following the same charge selection rules as for integer charges.

Citation Download Citation

S. Residori, U. Bortolozzo, F. Lenzini, and F. T. Arecchi "Nonlinear mixing of optical vortices", Proc. SPIE 8274, Complex Light and Optical Forces VI, 82740T (10 February 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.909196

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