title: Observation of optical azimuthons.
abstract: We observe experimentally optical azimuthons, a generic class of ring-shaped localised spiralling beams with azimuthal modulation, carrying phase dislocation in self-focusing nonlinear media. We observe three- and four-lobe azimuthons in 87Rb vapours and demonstrate their anomalous rotation controlled by the input phase distribution.
authors.affiliation: Nonlinear Physics Centre, Research School of Physics and Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Minovich
authors.forename: Dragomir N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Neshev
authors.forename: Anton S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Desyatnikov
authors.forename: Wieslaw
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Krolikowski
authors.forename: Yuri S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kivshar
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D008027:Light; D008029:Lighting / Q000379:methods*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012542:Scattering, Radiation