VORTEX STREETS IN A CAVITY WITH HIGHER-ORDER STANDING WAVES

Recently a laser analog of vortex generation behind an obstacle in a f low was demonstrated. Vortex generation occurs when tilted waves of di fferent transverse structures are simultaneously excited in a laser. W e have generalized this phenomenon to higher-order standing waves. Her e typical phenomena expected for optical vortices, such as the excitat ion and disappearance of single vortices out of and into dark lines an d dark areas, as well as vortex-pair creation and annihilation become apparent. (C) 1997 Optical Society of America.