Accelerated optical solitons in reorientational media with transverse invariance and longitudinally modulated birefringence

We demonstrate that reorientational spatial solitons can curve when propagating in a medium with engineered walk-off along the direction of propagation. In this regard, we employ nematic liquid crystals with molecular anchoring defined by electron beam lithography and optic axis distribution modulated in the longitudinal direction only, keeping the transverse orientation constant. The experimental results are in remarkably good agreement with a simple modulation theory based on momentum conservation.