Spiraling and cyclic dynamics of nematicons

Spatial solitons in nematic liquid crystals, ornematicons, can be generated in bulk through a reorientational nonlinearity. We investigate nematicon interactions, showing their behavior related to the inherent nonlocal response of the medium. Solving for both the mechanics and the optics of molecular reorientation in nematic liquid crystals with a nonlinear paraxial version of a Beam Propagator, we demonstrate both in plane and out of plane interactions, disclosing soliton crossing and spiraling.