We observe chaotic optical wave dynamics characterized by erratic energy transfer and soliton annihilation and creation in the aftermath of a three-soliton collision in a photorefractive crystal. Irregular dynamics are found to be mediated by the nonlinear Raman effect, a coherent interaction that leads to nonreciprocal soliton energy exchange. Results extend the analogy between solitons and particles to the emergence of chaos in three-body physics and provide new insight into the origin of the irregular dynamics that accompany extreme and rogue waves.

中文翻译：

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三孤子碰撞中混沌动力学的证据

我们观察了混沌光波动力学，其特征是在光折变晶体中的三孤子碰撞之后，以不稳定的能量转移和孤子湮灭和产生为特征。发现不规则动力学是由非线性拉曼效应介导的，这是一种导致非互易孤子能量交换的相干相互作用。结果将孤子和粒子之间的类比扩展到三体物理学中混沌的出现，并为伴随极端和流氓波的不规则动力学的起源提供了新的见解。