Abstract

This paper describes recent numerical results on self-bending (or self-deflection) effects for the case of a 3-D scalar optical beam with an initially asymmetric field profile propagating in an optical Kerr medium. The nonlinear propagation distance in these studies is of the order of, or longer than, the nonlinear self-focusing and linear diffraction lengths. The numerical technique used has been reported previously (Andersen and Regan, JOSA A, Sept. 1989). Results are presented which show the nonlinear propagation behavior as a function of several input parameters including transverse intensity profile, transverse phase profile, and intensity of the initial condition. It is shown that for self-focusing nonlinearities at sufficiently high intensities, the optical beam breaks up into multiple filaments. These filaments then propagate at some nonzero angle to the normal direction of the intensity weighted average of the initial condition phase front. This process happens in such a manner that the total transverse center of gravity of the beam is conserved, as is required by the conservation properties of the nonlinear Schrodinger equation for local nonlinearities. Some comparisons are made between the present numerical results and previously published experimental data.

© 1989 Optical Society of America