KINETICS OF LOCALIZED PATTERN-FORMATION IN OPTICAL-SYSTEMS

We consider the nonlinear optics models describing nascent optical bis tability and the optical parametric oscillator and study a pattern for mation mechanism which relies on the existence of an unstable band of modes which includes the homogeneous or zero mode and originates from the interaction of a Turing (modulational) instability with a saddle-n ode bifurcation. We identify three regimes in the evolution from an in itial unstable field distribution to a final localized stationary patt ern which is a unique stripe in the transverse profile of the field in side the cavity. This kinetics has analogies with that of the spinodal decomposition in immiscible mixtures.