6533b7ddfe1ef96bd1274871

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Controlled Observation of a Nonequilibrium Ising-Bloch Transition in a Nonlinear Optical Cavity

Germa~¡n J. De ValcárcelAdolfo Esteban-martinVictor B. TaranenkoJavier GarciaEugenio Roldán

subject

PhysicsCondensed matter physicsBistabilityDegenerate energy levelsFOS: Physical sciencesGeneral Physics and AstronomyNon-equilibrium thermodynamicsNonlinear opticsPattern Formation and Solitons (nlin.PS)Photorefractive effectNonlinear Sciences - Pattern Formation and SolitonsPhysics::Accelerator PhysicsIsing modelPhase conjugationMixing (physics)Optics (physics.optics)Physics - Optics

description

We describe the controlled observation of the nonequilibrium Ising-Bloch transition in a broad area nonlinear optical cavity, namely, a quasi-1D single longitudinal-mode photorefractive oscilator in a degenerate four-wave mixing configuration. Our experimental technique allows for the controlled injection of the domain walls. We use cavity detuning as control parameter and find that both Ising and Bloch walls can exist for the same detuning values within a certain interval of detunings, i.e., the Ising-Bloch transition is hysteretic in our case. A complex Ginzburg-Landau model is used for supporting the observations.

https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.94.223903