Spatial optical soliton used as a spectral probe in colloids of liquids crystals and nanoparticles

Since 10 years spatial optical solitons are studied for application in optical steering and routing. We propose here another potential use of solitons: a localized spectral probe in colloids. We show the feasibility of this concept by collecting the fluorescence signal escaping from in a cell filled with a mixture of liquid crystal (5CB) and dye (quinizarin), excited either by a spatial soliton obtained by thermal self-focusing or by a freely propagating beam. We find that the fluorescence signal collected at the output of the soliton is larger than the one collected on the same optical path in the linear regime. A model based on waveguide considerations confirms such a behavior. Finally we discuss how polystyrene particles can be detected in colloids by using spatial solitons.

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