ABSTRACT
A photorefractive spatial soliton [1-9] is created when an optical beam self-induces an index change that exactly compensates for the diffraction of the beam. In this sense the beam is able to create its own waveguide and offers potential for applications in the field of all-optical switching, reconfigurable interconnects, and beam steering. Such self-induced waveguides (Figure 1) have been observed, and extensively studied in ferroelectric oxide and sillenite oxide crystals for visible wavelengths. For the near infra-red wave lengths used in telecommunications, InP:Fe crystals have also demonstrated interesting photorefractive properties [10-13] and offer the potential for the formation of spatial solitons.
