Abstract

Studies of instabilities in nonlinear optical resonators form a counterpart to studies on instabilities in lasers. The prototype of experimental systems is a sodium-filled resonator. In some experimental schemes very special conditions have been provided in order to allow a treatment of the sodium atoms as two-level systems; in these experiments the range of dynamic phenomena is very restricted [1]. In other experiments very interesting phenomena have been observed, but a detailed theoretical analysis was not feasible [2].

© 1991 Optical Society of America