Abstract

The self-focusing and the screening soliton propagation for the arbitrary orientation of a ($\overline{1}\overline{1}0$)-cut cubic photorefractive crystal with respect to the external electric field have been investigated. A general system of equations for the description of light beam self-focusing in a cubic crystal is suggested. The orientation of the crystal, near to optimal one, for self-focusing of light beams is found. The phenomenon of suppression of polarization properties of the optically active crystal by nonlinear interaction of polarized components of the light beam is studied. It is shown that the optical activity of the crystal not always leads to worsening conditions for formation of the soliton.

© 2003 Optical Society of America