Nonlinear optics is nowadays one of the most active field of research in Physics. Since the discovery of the laser in the sixties, which allowed the early studies on the response of materials on high power electromagnetic fields, Nonlinear Optics has developed nowadays to a wide extent, involving fundamental research in the study of light-matter interaction and applicative research in the cutting edge domains of future technologies, such as photonics, optical communications systems, optical storage and interconnect, biomedical imaging and art diagnostics.

Today Nonlinear Optics involves a large scientific community, ranging from theoretical to experimental physicists, material scientists, telecommunication engineers and mathematicians. Different materials are studied and are shown to provide nonlinear optical effects, now even at low laser intensities, thus providing direct potential applications. The field of study of Nonlinear Optics goes from atomic vapors to solid crystals, photorefractive media and glass materials, liquid crystals and polymers, optical fibers and waveguides, just to cite a few.

In this project we aim at developing a series of research activities in the field of Liquid crystal Nonlinear Optics and especially on the study of the complex spatiotemporal dynamics that arise in spatially extended systems when a large degree of interconnection is established between different parts of the optical wave front. In this framework, we will focus on two paradigmatic experiments:

• A nonlinear optical passive cavity with a large transverse section
• A spatially extended nonlinear medium with retro-injected optical feedback.

Keywords: optical Pattern formation, phase singularities, phase transition, front propagation, and rare events in optical liquid crystals.

This project is financially supported jointly by the governments of Chile and France through the program ANR-39 CONICYT or ANR-2010-INTB-402-02.