Dark spatial solitons in bulk azo-dye-doped polymer using photoinduced molecular reorientation

Abstract

We report the generation of dark spatial solitons in bulk Disperse Red 1 doped poly(methyl methacrylate) using photoinduced reorientation of azo-dye molecules. Planar solitions are formed when illuminated with a continuous-wave laser at intensities of the order of hundreds of miliwatts per square centimeter. The width of the soliton saturates to a minimum value at high intensity; and when the width of the initial dark notch is reduced, the equilibrium minimum width is unchanged.