Single- and double-vortex vector solitons in self-focusing nonlinear media

Abstract

We study two-component spatial optical solitons carrying an angular momentum and propagating in a self-focusing saturable nonlinear medium. When one of the components is small, such vector solitons can be viewed as a self-trapped vortex beam that guides either the fundamental or first-order guided mode, and they are classified as single- and double-vortex vector solitons. For such composite vortex beams, we demonstrate that a large-amplitude guided mode can stabilize the ring-like vortex beam which usually decays due to azimuthal modulational instability. We identify different types of these vector vortex solitons and demonstrate both vortex bistability and mutual stabilization effect.