LORENTZ TRANSFORMATIONS IN BIFURCATING SYSTEMS

The linear response of a driven dissipative system near a bifurcation instability is studied. Using a previously established scaling relatio n, it is shown that the response to a small coherent signal can be cha racterized by a Lorentz transformation of a spinor whose components ar e the two orthogonal phases (quadratures) of the signal. The analysis shows that by forming an array of such systems it should be possible t o demonstrate features of the Lorentz group experimentally, e.g., Wign er rotations and Berry's phase of the Lorentz group, in simple bifurca ting systems.