Common dynamics of the differential-flow-induced chemical instability and the multimode instability in a laser with a saturable absorber

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Abstract
A common physical origin is demonstrated for the recently discovered differential-flow-induced chemical instability (DIFICI) and the multimode instability in a laser with an intracavity saturable absorber (LSA). The DIFICI occurs in the chemical systems involving an activator (autocatalytic) reacting species and an inhibitor reacting species, which are locally disengaged by their relative bulk motion—the differential flow. It has been shown that the LSA may be treated as an activator-inhibitor-like system and the motion of light plays the role of the differential flow. This analogy allows one to gain a deeper understanding of the physical basis of the laser instability and explain some its spectral properties.