Spontaneous spatial fractals: Universal contexts and applications

Firstly, we present the first evidence of spontaneous spatial fractals in ring cavities, and for a range of nonlinear materials. This classic system is modelled in the thin-slice limit, with a pump detuning parameter determining the level of dispersion. Periodic pumping and losses are introduced via the conventional ring-cavity boundary condition, and a spatial filter allows the control of complex pattern formation. Characteristics of the resulting fractal patterns depend upon system parameters (such as diffusion length, pump intensity, and mirror reflectivity). One key result is that spatial fractals can emerge even in purely-absorptive regimes.