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Percolation with coupled lasers: effect of non-linearities on the phase transition
Simon Mahler1,2, Nikita Stroev1, Mahmoud A Rmilah1
1Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 761001, Israel.
Summary
Researchers experimentally studied percolation using coupled lasers, finding phase locking emerges with percolating clusters. Nonlinear effects at low pump levels surprisingly altered the percolation transition.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Complex Systems
- Nonlinear Dynamics
Background:
- Controlled experimental studies of percolation are difficult due to challenges in tuning connectivity and mitigating finite-size effects.
- Coupled laser systems offer a controllable platform for investigating complex phenomena.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally investigate percolation phenomena using a tunable platform of coupled lasers.
- To explore the relationship between percolation and phase locking in an array of lasers.
- To analyze the influence of nonlinear effects on percolation transitions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a square array of 100 coupled lasers to create controllable connectivity and system size.
- Monitored phase locking and percolation probability as a function of site-occupation probability.
- Investigated the system's behavior across different pump levels, including nonlinear regimes.
Main Results:
- Observed the emergence of a percolating cluster coinciding with the onset of laser phase locking.
- Demonstrated a second-order-like transition in percolation probability, consistent with theoretical predictions.
- Discovered that amplified mode competition in the nonlinear regime significantly alters the percolation transition.
Conclusions:
- Coupled lasers provide a viable experimental platform for studying percolation and phase transitions.
- Nonlinear dynamics in laser systems can fundamentally modify classical percolation behavior.
- The study offers insights into complex system dynamics and phase transitions in controlled experimental settings.
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