Transition to spatiotemporal intermittency and defect turbulence in a liquid crystal light valve with translational optical feedback

Optical coupling in pattern-forming systems brings out the emergence and transition of complex spatiotemporal behaviors. A liquid crystal light valve experiment with translational optical feedback shows the appearance of striped patterns. When the translational coupling length increases, the system exhibits transitions to traveling, spatiotemporal intermittency, and defect turbulence of striped waves. From the first principles, an order parameter equation valid close to the nascent of bistability together with a translationally coupling is derived. The dynamics of the liquid crystal light valve with translational optical feedback and the proposed minimal model system show qualitative agreement.