Abstract

Simple systems consisting of a nonlinear medium that is irradiated by a collimated laser beam, and a mirror that reflects the transmitted light back in the medium,1 have proven to be very suitable to study spatial patterns in optics. Recent interest has shifted to the properties of nonstationary patterns.2 It was demonstrated in quasi one-dimensional systems that a tilt of the feedback mirror causes a drift of the stripe pattern, the drift velocity being proportional to the tilt angle in a first approximation. 3-4 In this contribution the properties of two-dimensional patterns (hexagons) with a tilted feedback mirror are investigated.

© 1997 Optical Society of America