Nonlinear dynamics of two-color optical vortices in lithium niobate crystals

Abstract

We study experimentally the nonlinear dynamics of two-color optical vortex beams in the presence of second-harmonic generation combined with the effects of photo- and thermal refraction, as well as self- and induced-phase modulation.We use an iron-doped lithium niobate crystal as a nonlinear medium for the vortex propagation and observe experimentally, depending on the laser wavelength, a decay of a double-charge vortex, splitting and reshaping of background beam, pattern formation, and controllable nonlinear rotation of a vortex pair. Show more