title: Two dimensional counterpropagating spatial solitons in photorefractive crystals.
abstract: We demonstrate experimentally the existence of two transverse-dimensional counterpropagating (CP) incoherent spatial solitons in a 5 x 5 x 23 mm SBN:60Ce photorefractive crystal and investigate their dynamical behavior. We carry out numerical simulations that confirm our experimental findings. Substantially different behavior from the copropagating incoherent solitons is found. A symmetry breaking transition from stable overlapping CP solitons to unstable transversely displaced CP solitons is observed. We perform linear stability analysis that predicts the threshold for the split-up transition, in qualitative agreement with numerical simulations and experimental results.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physics, Post Office Box 57, 11001 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petrović
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jović
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Belić
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.forename: Ph
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jander
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Denz