Generation of a periodic array of dark spatial solitons in the regime of effective amplification

We experimentally demonstrate the generation of a periodic array of dark spatial solitons from two plane waves propagating at some angle in the regime of adiabatic amplification in a Kerr-like medium. The importance of amplification for the generation of clean dark solitons is shown. The combined action of nonlinearity, diffraction, and amplification leads to the reshaping of the input signal into an array of dark solitons with flat phase fronts in the bright background region. © 1994 Optical Society of America