title: Nonlinear dynamics optically induced in nematic liquid crystals
abstract: We report the analysis of the dynamical regimes induced in a homeotropically aligned nematic liquid-crystal layer when an s-polarized laser beam impinges at a small incident angle. These regimes are studied by analyzing the time series of the variation of the polarization state of a light probe beam, recorded at different light intensities. A detailed description of the dynamical regimes, based on the analysis of the wavelet transforms performed on the observed time series, is presented. We recognize a first Hopf bifurcation followed by a gluing bifurcation, and a further transition toward an irregular regime. Similarities between our experimental results and a scenario of transition to chaos via a sequence of gluing bifurcations have been discussed.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica and Istituto Nazionale per la Fisica della Materia, Universita della Calabria, 87036 Rende (CS), Italy.
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cipparrone