Spatiotemporal optical vortex solitons: Dark solitons with transverse and tilted phase line singularities

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new class of vortex solitons in nonlinear media where phase singularities are oriented arbitrarily, expanding the understanding and potential applications of spatiotemporal optical vortices.

Contribution

It presents the theoretical description of dark solitons with transverse and tilted phase line singularities in self-defocusing Kerr media, extending the concept of optical vortices into the nonlinear regime.

Findings

Describes vortex solitons with arbitrary phase line orientations

Connects linear dispersion properties to vortex orientation

Opens new avenues for practical optical vortex applications

Abstract

Vortex solitons (dark solitons) are described in self-defocusing Kerr media whose phase line singularity is not parallel to the propagation direction, but is perpendicular or tilted almost arbitrary angles, depending on the medium linear dispersion. These solitons broaden the so-called spatiotemporal optical vortices recently observed in experiments to the nonlinear realm, opening new perspectives in practical applications of optical vortices.