Extreme events induced by spatiotemporal chaos in experimental optical patterns

Abstract

Extreme events such as rogue waves are often associated with the merging of coherent structures. We report on experimental results in the physics of extreme events emerging in a liquid-crystal light valve subjected to optical feedback, and we establish the relation of this phenomenon with the appearance of spatiotemporal chaos. This system, under particular conditions, exhibits stationary roll patterns that can be destabilized into quasi-periodic and chaotic textures when control parameters are properly modified. We have identified the parameter regions where extreme fluctuations of the amplitude can emerge and established their origin through its direct relation with the experimental largest Lyapunov exponents, the proportion of extreme events, and the normed kurtosis.

Extreme events following bifurcation to spatiotemporal chaos in a spatially extended microcavity laser

“…Other mechanisms observed in dissipative systems involve stochastically induced transitions in multistable systems [32] or the temporal chaotic dynamics in a nonspatially extended laser with optical injection [33]. Extreme events have been found in a variety of optical cavity systems, such as an injected nonlinear optical cavity [34], fiber lasers [31,35], solid-state lasers [36], optical liquid crystal light valve with optical feedback [37], and semiconductor lasers [33,38]. The role of spatial coupling has been studied in the context of a pattern-forming optical system subjected to optical feedback composed of a Kerr medium [39] or a photorefractive crystal [40] and in an extended microcavity laser with integrated saturable absorber [41].…”

Real-time measurements of spontaneous breathers and rogue wave events in optical fibre modulation instability

“…Although first seen in deep-water wave propagation described by the cubic nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) (where it was referred to as the Benjamin–Feir instability)2, MI has attracted particularly widespread interest in optics and has been observed in a variety of nonlinear systems. The first observation of MI in optics was in optical fibre propagation described by the cubic NLSE34, but other classes of related instabilities have since been reported in laser resonators and optical cavities5678910, spatio-temporal dynamics1112, pattern formation1314151617 and waveguides18.…”

Drifting cavity solitons and dissipative rogue waves induced by time-delayed feedback in Kerr optical frequency comb and in all fiber cavities

“…52,76 A similar experimental result has been observed in a liquid crystal light valve with optical feedback. 77 The collision mechanism leading to the formation of dissipative rogue waves has been establish numerically in the Lugiato-Lefever model without delay feedback. 14 Random formation of coherent structures having properties of localization in space and time similar to rogue waves has been proposed in relation with integrable turbulence.…”