Nonlinear Aharonov-Bohm scattering by optical vortices - art. no. 043901

We study linear and nonlinear wave scattering by an optical vortex in a sel f-defocusing nonlinear Kerr medium. In the linear case, we find a splitting of a plane-wave front at the vortex proportional to its circulation, simil ar to what occurs in the scattered wave of electrons for the Aharonov-Bohm effect. For larger wave amplitudes, we study analytically and numerically t he scattering of a dark-soliton stripe (a nonlinear analog of a small-ampli tude wave packet) by a vortex and observe a significant asymmetry of the sc attered wave. Subsequently, a wave-front splitting of the scattered wave de velops into transverse modulational instability "unzipping" the stripe into trains of vortices with opposite charges.