Chaos and extreme events in an azimuthally polarized Nd:GdVO_4 laser with pump modulation

Nonlinear dynamics and extreme events were explored in a spatially distributed polarization laser based on an azimuthally polarized Nd:GdVO₄ laser with pump modulation. When the modulation frequency approached the relaxation oscillation frequency, a period-doubling route to chaos was observed with an increasing modulation depth, and spatiotemporal extreme events occurred with the generation of the chaos. An efficient azimuthal polarization was kept, even though the intensity fluctuated in the chaotic region.