title: Large electro-optic beam steering with nematicons.
abstract: We analyze the angular steering of self-confined light beams, i.e., spatial solitons, in nematic liquid crystals exploiting both their electro-optic response and reorientational nonlinearity. A bias-induced interface is obtained with comb electrodes in a planar cell, applying two distinct voltages to control the spatial distribution of the optic axis. The configuration allows spatial solitons to propagate in a plane and maximize their deflection via refraction and total internal reflection, with an overall deflection of 70° in standard E7.
authors.affiliation: Nonlinear Optics and OptoElectronics Lab (NooEL), Via della Vasca Navale 84, 00146 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Raouf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barboza
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alberucci
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Assanto