Abstract

Recently it was demonstrated that spatial optical solitons at gW power levels can be supported in photorefractive (PR) media.^1-6 In particular, the so-called screening solitons are possible when an external bias voltage is appropriately applied to a PR crystal.^2-3 Moreover, the optical beam is required to be linearly polarized. Very recently, vector solitons involving the two polarization components have also been predicted in biased PR materials.^7,8 This latter class of solitons can only be achieved in specific system geometries.

© 1996 Optical Society of America