Asymmetric dynamics of the orbital angular momentum of vector beam propagation in nonlocal nonlinear media with -symmetric azimuthal potentials

Abstract

We study the dynamics of vector beams (VBs) propagating in nonlocal nonlinear media with -symmetric azimuthal potentials. It is found that there is an apparent clockwise/counterclockwise symmetry (similar to left/right symmetry) breaking for the sub-beam with the opposite value of orbital angular momentum (OAM) of the VB. This symmetry breaking leads to the obvious asymmetric evolution of OAM, which results in net OAM generation. We numerically confirm that this phenomenon is induced by the -symmetric azimuthal potential.