Discrete spatial soliton formation in a two-dimensional fs laser written waveguide array in fused silica

We report on the observation of a two-dimensional discrete soliton in a cubic 5 × 5 fs laser written waveguide array for the first time. In addition to the localization the sharp defined edges of the array allow to study the influence of the array's boundaries. The results are in excellent agreement with the theoretical predictions. These results provide the basis for a variety of future applications for nonlinear two-dimensional integrated optical devices.

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