Solitons in Nonlocal Media

(a) Reorientation angle versus x ′
(c) Maximum reorientation angle ξmax
versus V
2.3 Effect of the Input Interface
(b) Electrostatic potential versus x ′
Figure 2.4: Reorientation angle ξ [fig. 2.4(a)] and electrostatic potential V [fig. 2.4(b)]
inside the cell for applied voltages ranging from 0 to 4.5V . In fig. 2.4(c) is plotted the
maximum angle ξ, labeled ξmax, versus applied voltage V. From fig. 2.4(a) ξmax is always
placed in x ′ = a/2, as predictable given problem symmetry.
to distinguish the two components inside the sample, i.e. in the bulk NLC, because
the extraordinary component has a Poynting vector not parallel to ˆz, due to walk-off 1
[section 1.4.3] [fig. 2.5(a)]. For high V, the two components begin to overlap with each
other. In this range, I can use scattering to discriminate them: there is a 100% coupling
on the extraordinary component when the scattered power towards the CCD camera is
maximum. In fact, for V > 2V , at certain input power, it is Pse
Pso > 9.6, where Pse and
Pso are the power scattered from the NLC along ˆx when all the input power is coupled
on e and o components, respectively [for a more detailed discussion about scattering
in this configuration see appendix A.1].
1 Moreover, for high enough input powers, only extraordinary wave is self-focused due to the Freed-
ericksz threshold.
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