We investigate the classical dynamics of optical nonlinear Kerr couplers, focusing on their potential relevance to quantum computing applications. The system consists of three Kerr-type nonlinear oscillators arranged in two configurations: a triangular arrangement, where each oscillator is coupled to the others, and a sandwich arrangement, where only the middle oscillator interacts with the two outer ones. The system is driven by an external periodic field and includes dissipative processes. Its evolution is governed by six non-autonomous differential equations derived from a Kerr Hamiltonian with nonlinear coupling terms. We show that even for identical Kerr media, the interplay between nonlinear couplings and mismatched fundamental and pump frequencies leads to rich and complex dynamics, including the emergence of multiple stable attractors. These attractors are highly sensitive to both the coupling configuration and initial conditions. A key contribution of this work is a detailed stability analysis based on the numerical calculation of Lyapunov exponents, which reveals transitions from regular to chaotic dynamics as damping is reduced. We identify critical damping thresholds for the onset of chaos and characterize phenomena such as chaotic beats. These results offer insights for potential experimental realizations and are directly relevant to emerging quantum technologies, where Kerr parametric oscillators play a central role in quantum gates, error correction protocols, and quantum neural network architectures.
Chmielewski et al. (2025) studied this question.