LOCAL AND GLOBAL EFFECTS OF BOUNDARIES ON OPTICAL-PATTERN FORMATION IN KERR MEDIA

The space-time field evolution in a Kerr slice with single feedback mi rror is considered. A full symmetry analysis of the governing equation s reveals profound differences between plane-wave and Gaussian-beam ex citation. For Gaussian-beam pumping primary bifurcations to a successi on of polygonal figures are predicted and confirmed in numerical simul ations. Secondary bifurcations are complicated by competition between local and global bifurcations. Chaotic itinerancy and intermittency ar e among the phenomena observed in the simulations. For broad pump beam s, multispot polygons with fivefold symmetry are observed to coexist w ith sixfold quasilattice patterns, in excellent agreement with the the oretical predictions based on symmetry considerations only.