Advanced Accelerator Concepts 2026

Nonlinear propagation of spatiotemporal optical vortex pulses

30 Jul 2026, 13:50

20m

Ballroom A&B (Luskin)

To be considered for Working Group talk A1-Working Group # 1

Speaker

Abram Konzel (University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics)

Description

Spatiotemporal optical vortex (STOV) pulses feature a circulation of Poynting flux around a co-moving phase singularity embedded in their spacetime structure. The transverse orbital angular momentum (OAM) arising from this circulation extends the concept of longitudinal OAM associated with pure spatial phase singularities, resulting in distinct linear and nonlinear propagation behavior. Here, we introduce an analytic model for the nonlinear propagation of STOV pulses in graded-index, anomalously dispersive media with an instantaneous Kerr response. Three types of STOVs are analyzed: perfect spherical STOVs, which preserve their shape in two spatial and one temporal dimension; perfect cylindrical STOVs, which preserve their shape in one spatial and one temporal dimension; and imperfect STOVs, whose profile evolves during propagation. For each type, the conditions for self-guiding and collapse are derived.