title: Laser chimeras as a paradigm for multistable patterns in complex systems.
abstract: A chimera state is a rich and fascinating class of self-organized solutions developed in high-dimensional networks. Necessary features of the network for the emergence of such complex but structured motions are non-local and symmetry breaking coupling. An accurate understanding of chimera states is expected to bring important insights on deterministic mechanism occurring in many structurally similar high-dimensional dynamics such as living systems, brain operation principles and even turbulence in hydrodynamics. Here we report on a powerful and highly controllable experiment based on an optoelectronic delayed feedback applied to a wavelength tuneable semiconductor laser, with which a wide variety of chimera patterns can be accurately investigated and interpreted. We uncover a cascade of higher-order chimeras as a pattern transition from N to N+1 clusters of chaoticity. Finally, we follow visually, as the gain increases, how chimera state is gradually destroyed on the way to apparent turbulence-like system behaviour.
authors.affiliation: Institut FEMTO-ST, UMR 6174, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, 15B avenue des Montboucons, 25030 Besançon, France.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.identifier: 0000000312451602
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Larger
authors.affiliation: Institut FEMTO-ST, UMR 6174, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, 15B avenue des Montboucons, 25030 Besançon, France.
authors.forename: Bogdan
authors.identifier: 0000000318510415
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Penkovsky
authors.affiliation: 1] Institut FEMTO-ST, UMR 6174, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, 15B avenue des Montboucons, 25030 Besançon, France [2] Institute of Mathematics, Center for Medical and Biotechnical Research, NAS of Ukraine, Tereschenkivska Street 3, 01601 Kyiv, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maistrenko