Controlling spontaneous generation of optical beam spots in a liquid crystal device

Abstract

An analysis is made of spot patterns generated in a liquid crystal spatial light modulator with optical feedback from the point of view of controlling generation of spots. The conditions for forming solitary spots were analyzed using a theoretical model which fits the experimental device well. Phenomena observed in experiments such as spontaneous birth, motion, and merging of spots is reproduced in numerical simulation with the model. It is shown how parameters characterizing nonlinearity, diffraction, and diffusion can be designed for stable spots and stable spot motion.