Generation of Vectorial Spatio-Temporal Optical Vortices during Nonlinear Self-Action of an Elliptically Polarized Laser Pulse in the Isotropic Phase of a Nematic Liquid Crystal with a Slow Nonlinear Optical Response

Key Points

• The central aim is to investigate how elliptically polarized laser pulses interact with a nematic liquid crystal to generate optical vortices.
• Studied the interaction of elliptically polarized light with nematic liquid crystal.
• Focused on the isotropic phase near the phase transition temperature.
• Analyzed the medium's nonlinear optical response.
• Optical vortices were formed in the circularly polarized components of the light pulse.
• Nonlinear collapse was stabilized by the medium's temporal inertia, which is larger than the pulse duration.