Self-structuring of stable dissipative breathing vortex solitons in a colloidal nanosuspension.

The self-structuring of laser light in an artificial optical medium composed of a colloidal suspension of nanoparticles is demonstrated using variational and numerical methods extended to dissipative systems. In such engineered materials, competing nonlinear susceptibilities are enhanced by the light induced migration of nanoparticles. The compensation of diffraction by competing focusing and defocusing nonlinearities, together with a balance between loss and gain, allow for self-organization of light and the formation of stable dissipative breathing vortex solitons. Due to their robustness, the breathers may be used for selective dynamic photonic tweezing of nanoparticles in colloidal nanosuspensions.