SIMULATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE FLOWER-LIKE INSTABILITY IN THE SINGLE-FEEDBACK MIRROR EXPERIMENT WITH RUBIDIUM VAPOR

Flower-like patterns are numerically investigated when the schematic R b four-level relevant transition is reduced to the lower two Zeeman su b-levels via the adiabatic elimination of the upper states. These flow er-like patterns are the signature of small aspect ratio while typical patterns like squares are displayed in the opposite limit. Depending on the relative weights of diffraction effects and nonlinearities, the y display, or not, self-similar shapes in the near and the far field.