<title>Guiding and switching by quasi-2D dark spatial solitons</title>

Abstract

Guiding and switching by quasi -2D dark spatial solitonsD. Neshev*, A. Dreischuh*, S. Dinev*, L. WindholzTechnical University Graz, Institute ofExperimental PhysicsPetersgasse 16, A-8010 Graz, Austria* permanent address: Sofia University, Department of Quantum Electronics5, J. Bourchier Blvd., BG-1 164 Sofia, BulgariaABSTRACTVariable number of quasi-2D dark spatial solitons of adjustable transverse velocities could be generated by a properchoice of the initial phase profile (odd/even) and width of crossed dark stripes and the background-beam intensity. Thepossibility to branch single input probe beam into ordered structures of subbeams is demonstrated numerically in bulkself'induced-defocusing Kerr nonlinear media.Keywords: nonlinear optics, dark optical solitons, beam guiding, beam branching1. INTRODUCTIONThe dark spatial optical solitons form a specific class of self-supported beams for which the diffraction is compensatedby the beam's self-action in media of negative nonlinearities [1,2J. Because of the negative nonlinear refractive indexcorrection the refractive index itself appears lower in the Dark Spatial Soliton (DSS) wings as compared to this in thevicinity of the intensity-dip. As a consequence, the DSSs should obey guiding properties [3,4]. The same should hold alsofor a quasi-2D DSS formed by two crossed fundamental 1D Odd Dark Spatial Solitons (ODSSs) [5].Characteristic for the 1D black ODSS is the abrupt it-phase shift at the zero-intensity position [2,6J. ffthe phase-jump