Abstract

The formation of patterns and their dynamical evolution in nonlinear optics has been the subject of several papers during the last years.^[1] Most of previous papers do not address the question of the transition from simple to complicated patterns but just the facts that optical systems are able to display complex structures. A different strategy was taken in Ref. ² where we gave an interpretation of pattern changes in terms of group theory of the transition from a completely symmetric state to one in which all symmetries of the original 0(2) group were broken. Although symmetry considerations are rather general (independent of particular models), the question arises of how perfect the symmetry of the system has to be to apply such methods to the interpretation of the experimental results.

© 1992 IQEC