Unwound chiral nematics as a playground for optical and topological solitons

Guilhem Poy; Slobodan Žumer

doi:10.1117/12.3021795

18 June 2024 Unwound chiral nematics as a playground for optical and topological solitons

Guilhem Poy, Slobodan Žumer

Proceedings Volume PC13016, Liquid Crystals Optics and Photonic Devices; PC130160G (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3021795
Event: SPIE Photonics Europe, 2024, Strasbourg, France

Abstract

Unwound chiral nematics controlled by confining surface anchoring and geometry are frustrated systems that exhibit a variety of metastable topological solitonic structures. On top of that, their intrinsic chirality reduces the laser power needed for the propagation of bouncing optical solitons, whereas nonlinear chiral nematic media periodically compensate for the diffraction spreading of light beams more effectively than in conventional nematicons. Unwound chiral nematics thus provide an excellent playground for studying the interactions of topological and optical solitons. Modeling and simulations first developed for linear light interaction are here extended to nonlinear situations experimentally studied by Smalyukh's group. The delicate balance of the light-to-matter transfer of momentum and the force due to the nonlocal orientational elasticity of chiral liquid crystals enables the tractor effect and spatial localization of topological solitons. These simple examples show that the optomechanical interplay of both kinds of solitons has potential for use in soft photonics.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Guilhem Poy and Slobodan Žumer "Unwound chiral nematics as a playground for optical and topological solitons", Proc. SPIE PC13016, Liquid Crystals Optics and Photonic Devices, PC130160G (18 June 2024); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3021795

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available