Elliptical discrete solitons supported by enhanced photorefractive anisotropy

We demonstrate elliptical discrete solitons in an optically induced two-dimensional photonic lattice. The ellipticity of the discrete soliton results from enhanced photorefractive anisotropy and nonlocality under a nonconventional bias condition. We show that the ellipticity and orientation of the discrete solitons can be altered by changing the direction of the lattice beam and/or the bias field relative to the crystalline c-axis. Our experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical prediction.