  We theoretically investigate collision of optical beams travelling in
opposite directions through a centrosymmetric photorefractive crystal biased by
a spatially non-uniform voltage. We analytically predict the fusion of
counterpropagating solitons in conditions in which the applied voltage is
rapidly modulated along the propagation axis, so that self-bending is
suppressed by the "restoring symmetry" mechanism. Moreover, when the applied
voltage is slowly modulated, we predict that the modified self-bending allows
conditions in which the two beams fuse together, forming a curved light-channel
splice.
