title: Nonlinear Aharonov-Bohm scattering by optical vortices.
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.
authors.affiliation: Nonlinear Physics Group, Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Neshev
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nepomnyashchy
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kivshar