Localized Turing patterns in nonlinear optical cavities

The subcritical Turing instability is studied in two classes of models for laser-driven nonlinear optical cavities. In the first class of models, the nonlinearity is purely absorptive, with arbitrary intensity-dependent losses. In the second class, the refractive index is real and is an arbitrary function of the intracavity intensity. Through a weakly nonlinear analysis, a Ginzburg–Landau equation with quintic nonlinearity is derived. Thus, the Maxwell curve, which marks the existence of localized patterns in parameter space, is determined. In the particular case of the Lugiato–Lefever model, the analysis is continued to seventh order, yielding a refined formula for the Maxwell curve and the theoretical curve is compared with recent numerical simulation by Gomila et al. [D. Gomila, A. Scroggie, W. Firth, Bifurcation structure of dissipative solitons, Physica D 227 (2007) 70–77.]

► Subcritical Turing instability is studied in general nonlinear optical cavity models.
► We derive fifth order complex Ginzburg–Landau equation near subcritical Turing bifurcations.
► The Maxwell curve for fronts between homogeneous solution and patterns is derived.