Weilnau, CarstenAhles, MGeisser, MMcCarthy, GlennDenz, CorneliaLuther-Davies, BarryKrolikowski, WieslawOstrovskaya, ElenaKivshar, Yuri2015-12-100946-2171http://hdl.handle.net/1885/69720We review the generation of the recently predicted multi-component spatial optical solitons in a saturable nonlinear bulk medium. We present numerical simulations for an effectively isotropic model and experimental results for a set of different combinations of a Gaussian beam co-propagating incoherently with a beam of a more complex internal structure, such as a higher order transverse laser mode. We discuss the different formation processes and the general properties of a variety of different dipole-mode composite solitons and expand our investigations to the generation of a quadrupole-mode composite soliton.Keywords: Crystals; Solitons; Vectors; Waveguides; Nonlinear bulk medium; Photorefractive materials20012015-12-10