Electrically assisted self-confinement and waveguiding in planar nematic liquid crystal cells

We report on spatial soliton formation and self/cross waveguiding in planar cells containing a nematic liquid crystal in the presence of an externally applied voltage. Self-confinement and cross-induced guidance are demonstrated with an Argon ion laser (514 nm) and a helium-neon probe (633 nm), respectively, over millimeter lengths and with milliwatt pump powers. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)01427-3].