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Published on: August 26, 2015
Chaotically spiking attractors in suspended-mirror optical cavities
Francesco Marino1, Francesco Marin
1Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Firenze, INFN Sezione di Firenze, and LENS, Via Sansone 1, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy.
Summary
We studied a Fabry-Perot cavity where radiation pressure and photothermal effects created complex dynamics. This research reveals novel chaotic behaviors and optical spikes, offering new insights into optical cavity physics.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Nonlinear Dynamics
- Experimental Physics
Background:
- Fabry-Perot cavities are fundamental optical resonators.
- Radiation pressure and photothermal effects can influence cavity dynamics.
- Understanding these coupled phenomena is crucial for advanced optical systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally investigate the coupled dynamics of radiation pressure and photothermal effects in a high-finesse suspended-mirror Fabry-Perot cavity.
- To explore novel dynamical regimes arising from the competition of these effects.
- To validate a physical model against observed phenomena.
Main Methods:
- Experimental setup of a high-finesse suspended-mirror Fabry-Perot cavity.
- Operating the cavity in a regime where both radiation pressure and photothermal effects are significant.
- Observing and analyzing dynamical behaviors including instabilities and chaotic attractors.
- Developing and applying a detailed physical model for comparison.
Main Results:
- Observed a regime where radiation pressure and photothermal effects compete.
- Identified a sequence of Hopf instability followed by chaotic attractors.
- Documented the occurrence of deterministic optical spikes triggered by chaotic dynamics.
- Demonstrated that a detailed physical model accurately reproduces the experimental results.
Conclusions:
- The interplay between radiation pressure and photothermal effects in optical cavities can lead to complex and previously unobserved nonlinear dynamics.
- The system exhibits deterministic chaos, manifesting as erratic optical spikes.
- The developed physical model provides a reliable framework for understanding and predicting these intricate behaviors in Fabry-Perot cavities.
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