title: Self-accelerating self-trapped nonlinear beams of Maxwell's equations.
abstract: We present shape-preserving self-accelerating beams of Maxwell's equations with optical nonlinearities. Such beams are exact solutions to Maxwell's equations with Kerr or saturable nonlinearity. The nonlinearity contributes to self-trapping and causes backscattering. Those effects, together with diffraction effects, work to maintain shape-preserving acceleration of the beam on a circular trajectory. The backscattered beam is found to be a key issue in the dynamics of such highly non-paraxial nonlinear beams. To study that, we develop two new techniques: projection operator separating the forward and backward waves, and reverse simulation. Finally, we discuss the possibility that such beams would reflect themselves through the nonlinear effect, to complete a 'U' shaped trajectory.
authors.affiliation: Physics Department and Solid State Institute, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel.
authors.forename: Ido
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kaminer
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nemirovsky
authors.forename: Mordechai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Segev
mesh_terms: D000054:Acceleration; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D008027:Light; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D012542:Scattering, Radiation