Energy-flow patterns and bifurcations of two-dimensional cavity solitons

Abstract

An analysis of two-dimensional spatial optical solitons in a large-aperture class A laser with a saturable absorber is developed. New types of rotating asymmetric solitons are found by computing the governing equation. The existence of weakly and strongly coupled solitons is demonstrated. Essential distinctions between them manifest themselves in the pattern of energy flows. A strongly coupled state evolves with time from an initial superposition of the fields of two solitons via successive bifurcations (topological changes in the energy-flow pattern).