Self-induced phase turbulence and chaotic itinerancy in coupled laser systems

Spatiotemporal dynamics of multiple coupled laser systems are predicted as an example of distinct phenomena in high-dimensional nonlinear systems far from thermal equilibrium. Generic dynamics, including a self-induced phase turbulence which results in emitter partition noise, chaotic itinerancy between ruins of local attractors (supermodes) resulting from phase hopping, as well as superslow relaxation into equilibria, are found. It is shown theoretically that such inherent dynamics result from the destruction of phase locking of multiple emitters due to population dynamics.