Nonlinear Aharonov-Bohm scattering by optical vortices
Date
2001-07-03
Authors
Neshev, Dragomir
Nepomnyashchy, A
Kivshar, Yuri
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American Physical Society
Abstract
We study linear and nonlinear wave scattering by an optical vortex in a self-defocusing nonlinear Kerr medium. In the linear case, we find a splitting of a plane-wave front at the vortex proportional to its circulation, similar to what occurs in the scattered wave of electrons for the Aharonov-Bohm effect. For larger wave amplitudes, we study analytically and numerically the scattering of a dark-soliton stripe (a nonlinear analog of a small-amplitude wave packet) by a vortex and observe a significant asymmetry of the scattered wave. Subsequently, a wave-front splitting of the scattered wave develops into transverse modulational instability, “unzipping” the stripe into trains of vortices with opposite charges.
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Keywords
Keywords: Computer simulation; Electron scattering; Gas condensates; Mathematical models; Nonlinear equations; Nonlinear optics; Optical Kerr effect; Quantum theory; Solitons; Wave equations; Wavefronts; Aharonov-Bohm scattering; Optical vortices; Wave amplitudes;
Citation
Physical Review Letters 87.4 (2001): 043901/1-4
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Physical Review Letters
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Journal article
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