Amplitude Self-modulation of Intracavity Second-harmonic Generation

We consider second-harmonic generation by a non-linear crystal placed in an empty resonant cavity and pumped by an external coherent field. It was recently predicted that the stationary state loses its stability through a Hopf bifurcation when the input intensity reaches a critical value. A new amplitude self-modulated state then arises. We construct explicitly this new time-periodic solution and prove its stability in the vicinity of the transition point. As the input intensity is further increased, numerical investigations indicate a new transition to another time-periodic solution; this transition involves an hysteresis cycle. The two periodic solutions differ by the number of maxima in one period: at low input intensity, there is one maximum per period, whereas at high input intensity there are two.