Attractor properties of laser dynamics: a comparison of NH3-laser emission with the Lorenz model

We compare the geometrical and statistical properties of the attractor underlying the chaotic dynamics of NH3-laser emission with those of the Lorenz attractors for parameters appropriate to the laser system. For particular operating conditions we find close agreement between laser dynamics and the Lorenz attractor exemplified by intensity pulse height distribution, spiral length distribution, and the "intensity Lorenz map". For other conditions producing "Lorenz-like" dynamics, however, qualitative differences are found. The particular dynamics predicted by the Lorenz model for the case of small b (twisting around z-axis) which is appropriate to the laser is shown to occur experimentally