Abstract
Using an example of a Raman active medium we describe how a common nonlinear process of four-wave mixing can be used to induce strong coupling between the spatial and temporal degrees of freedom in optical waves. This coupling produces several unexpected effects. Amongst those are cascaded excitation of multiply charged optical vortices, spatial focusing in a nonlinearly defocusing medium, and generation of helically shaped spatiotemporal optical solitons.
- Received 19 December 2006
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.243601
©2007 American Physical Society