title: Harnessing optical vortex lattices in nematic liquid crystals.
abstract: By creating self-induced vortexlike defects in the nematic liquid crystal layer of a light valve, we demonstrate the realization of programable lattices of optical vortices with arbitrary distribution in space. On each lattice site, every matter vortex acts as a photonic spin-to-orbital momentum coupler and an array of circularly polarized input beams is converted into an output array of vortex beams with topological charges consistent with the matter lattice. The vortex arrangements are explained on the basis of light-induced matter defects of both signs and consistent topological rules.
authors.affiliation: INLN, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, CNRS, 1361 Route des Lucioles, 06560 Valbonne, France and NooEL-Nonlinear Optics and OptoElectronics Lab, University Roma Tre, Via della Vasca Navale 84, 00146 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barboza
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bortolozzo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Assanto
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vidal-Henriquez
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Clerc
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Residori