Spatiotemporal oscillations in a semiconductor étalon

We show theoretically that competing optical nonlinearities in a semiconductor étalon, with transverse effects included, result in complex spatiotemporal behavior. A theoretical framework is developed that explains many features of the oscillatory behavior. Numerical simulations exhibit kinks, switching waves, whole-beam, and edge oscillations. Simulations compare favorably with recent experiments. © 1993 The American Physical Society.