Symmetry-breaking and intrinsic polarization instability in degenerate four-wave mixing

Year: 1986

Authors: Wabnitz S., Gregori G.

Autors Affiliation: Fondazione Ugo Bordoni, Istituto Superiore P.T., Viale Europa 160, 00144 Rome, Italy; Department of Mathematics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States

Abstract: The nonlinear theory of degenerate four-wave mixing in a Kerr-like medium is reformulated in terms of coupled Stokes vectors. Symmetry-breaking bifurcations leading to asymmetrical polarization eigenarrangements are found, and stability analysis predicts intrinsic spatial instability for the polarization state of the two counterpropagating waves, as the anisotropic contribution to the nonlinear polarizability and the intensity ratio of the beams are varied.

Journal/Review: OPTICS COMMUNICATIONS (PRINT)

Volume: 59 (1)      Pages from: 72  to: 76

KeyWords: OPTICS – Nonlinear, ASYMMETRICAL POLARIZATION; DEGENERATE FOUR-WAVE MIXING; NONLINEAR POLARIZABILITY; POLARIZATION INSTABILITY; SYMMETRY-BREAKING BIFURCATIONS, LASER BEAMS
DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(86)90050-7