Light propagation in nonlinear photonic lattices based on complex nondiffracting beams

The electro-optic properties of photorefractive crystals like strontium barium niobate (SBN) allow for a flexible generation of highly reconfigurable nonlinear refractive index patterns at very low power levels. The so-called optical induction technique has been utilized to demonstrate for instance discrete solitons, Zener tunneling and Bloch oscillations, as well as discrete vortex solitons. While in the past only rather simple lattice geometries like diamond, square, or hexagonal lattices were studied, currently, the interest turns towards more complex photonic structures. In this contribution, we investigate complex two-dimensional photonic lattices optically induced in photorefractive SBN.