Route to chaos in an acousto-optic bistable device

Abstract
An analysis of the experimental self-oscillation spectra of an acousto-optic bistable device is presented in relation to a theoretical model developed recently by Gao and co-workers. The main feature of the spectra is the superposition of a modulated noisy background to a discrete structure composed of a fundamental oscillation and its harmonics. A shift of this fundamental oscillation in the route to chaos is measured and discussed in terms of the modes of the theoretical model.