title: Azimuthons: spatially modulated vortex solitons.
abstract: We introduce a novel class of spatially localized self-trapped ringlike singular optical beams in nonlinear media, the so-called azimuthons, which appear due to a continuous azimuthal deformation of vortex solitons. We demonstrate that the azimuthons are characterized by two independent integer indices, the topological charge m and the number N of the intensity peaks along the ring. Each soliton family includes azimuthons with negative, positive, and zero angular velocity.
authors.affiliation: Nonlinear Physics Centre, Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
authors.forename: Anton S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Desyatnikov
authors.forename: Andrey A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sukhorukov
authors.forename: Yuri S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kivshar