Laser cavity with a Van der Pol dynamics

Abstract

In this article, a beam within a ring phase conjugated laser is described by means of a Van der Pol bidimensional dynamic map using an ABCD matrix approach. Explicit expressions for the intracavity chaos-generating matrix elements were obtained; furthermore, computer calculations for different values of Van der Pol map’s parameters were made. The rich dynamic behavior displays periodicity when the parameter ¹ (which determines the non-inearity term) takes values around zero. These results were observed in phase diagrams and in diagrams of the optical thickness of the intracavity element.