OPTICAL MORPHOGENESIS - PATTERN-FORMATION AND COMPETITION IN NONLINEAR OPTICS

Pattern formation and competition occurs in a non-linear extended dyna mical system if dissipation allows for attracting sets, independently of initial conditions. Most reported patterns are still dependent on b oundary conditions. This dependency disappears in chemical Turing patt erns emerging from reaction-diffusion dynamics. Also in diffraction-di ffusion dynamics, as the one ruling an optical field coupled to a pola rizable medium, similar phenomena can occur. A review of recent optica l experiments is presented, including a discussion on suitable indicat ors which characterize the different regimes as well as the modelling of the various phenomena. Furthermore possible applications to quantum mechanics are sketched.