Spatial soliton dynamics in curved photonic lattices

Spatiotemporal nonlinear effects caused by the interplay between transverse modulation and nonlinearity open the rich field of research on wave propagation in nonlinear structures. In optics, the induction of two-dimensional refractive index structures in photorefractive materials has been utilized to demonstrate for instance discrete solitons, Bloch oscillations and Zener tunneling, as well as discrete vortex solitons. The unique properties of photorefractive crystals like strontium barium niobate (SBN) facilitate highly nonlinear and reconfigurable refractive index patterns even at low power levels.