Coupling of separate solitons in a series circuit of two photon photorefractive crystals exhibiting simultaneous quadratic and linear nonlinearities

Abstract Separately coupled optical spatial solitons are shown to exist in a biased series two-photon photorefractive(TPPR) crystal circuit consisting of two TPPR crystals which have the quadratic and linear electro-optic(EO) effect present simultaneously. The space charge field in each photorefractive(PR) crystal in the circuit has been derived. We find that the space charge field in each crystal is coupled with the space charge field in the other crystal. We consider the cases of separately coupled bright, dark and grey solitons and obtain the numerical solutions for the spatial solitons’ profile. The coupling effect due to the soliton peak intensity in each crystal and the gating beam intensity is studied in detail. The light induced current causes any change in the spatial profile of the dark or grey soliton in one of the crystal to result in a change in the spatial profile and propagation of the soliton in the other crystal. We also find that the bright soliton intensity in one crystal does not affect the soliton in the other crystal. A change in the gating beam intensity in one crystal influences the soliton in the other crystal and this is true for all the three cases of dark, grey and bright separate soliton pairs.