# Dual Role of Beam Polarization and Power in Nematic Liquid Crystals: A Comprehensive Study of TE- and TM-Beam Interactions

## TL;DR

This study explores how polarized light beams interact in nematic liquid crystals, revealing new insights into their nonlinear optical behavior.

## Contribution

The paper provides new experimental insights into the interaction of IR and visible beams in dye-doped nematic liquid crystals.

## Key findings

- The study reveals the dual role of beam polarization and power in shaping soliton dynamics in nematic liquid crystals.
- Interactions between TE- and TM-polarized beams demonstrate complex nonlinear effects influenced by dye doping.
- Findings contribute to understanding photonics and nonlinear optics in liquid crystal systems.

## Abstract

Optical spatial solitons are self-guided wave packets that maintain their transverse profile due to the self-focusing effect of light. In nematic liquid crystals (NLC), such light beams, called nematicons, can be induced by two principal mechanisms: light-induced reorientation of the elongated molecules and thermal changes in the refractive index caused by partial light absorption. This paper presents a detailed investigation of the propagation dynamics of light beams in nematic liquid crystals (NLCs) doped with Sudan Blue dye. Building on the foundational understanding of reorientational and thermal solitons in NLCs and the effective breaking of the action–reaction principle in spatial solitons, this study examines the interaction of infrared (IR) and visible beams in a [-4-(trans-4′-exylcyclohexyl)isothiocyanatobenzene] (6CHBT) NLC. Our experimental results highlight the intricate interplay of beam polarizations, power levels, and the nonlinear properties of NLCs, offering new insights into photonics and nonlinear optics in liquid crystals.