Laser-made lattice reveals discrete light solitons in tunable atomic vapor
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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies .
The short version
- These results open new possibilities for research in nonlinear optics, photonic lattice physics and complex quantum systems.
- Photonic lattices are periodic structures through which light propagates in a way analogous to the motion of electrons in crystals.
- Conventional implementations of such lattices, for example in semiconductors, lithium niobate, glass or optical waveguides, generally have fixed properties.
What happened
In this work, the researchers used warm rubidium vapor as a dynamic and tunable medium in which the lattice is created by laser light. As the probe-beam intensity increases, the response of the atomic vapor becomes nonlinear, and the beam begins to self-focus.
Why it matters
At sufficiently high power, this effect can counterbalance discrete diffraction.
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