Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, UK
Abstract:
We present an optical system for the spontaneous generation of self-similar fractal patterns. The system configuration is that of a ring cavity containing a lens array to form multiple, but laterally displaced, images. An image intensifier provides optical gain to overcome the round trip loss. The fractal properties of the intensity distributions both in and near the image planes are examined using a box counting technique.