All-optical control of pattern dynamics generated by Airy beams

Abstract

We study a pattern-forming system driven by two counterpropagating 2D Airy beams in a nonlinear single feedback configuration. When increasing the Airy beam intensity, modulation instability takes place but with several successive instability thresholds that correspond to destabilization of the different Airy beam satellite lobes. Most importantly, the self-organization is accompanied by a natural drifting dynamics related to the intrinsic acceleration of the Airy beam. The drifting dynamics is controlled by the parameters of the Airy beam itself, once generated. Numerical simulations reproduce the experimental findings.