Polarization chaos in an optically pumped laser.

We study the steady-state and dynamic behavior of an optically pumped J = 0 ? J = 1 ? J = 0 laser operating with an isotropic ring cavity and an axial magnetic field. The gain anisotropy induced by a linearly polarized pump-laser f ield leads, in the steady state, to locking of the two circularly polarized components of the laser field, which acquires a linear polarization parallel to that of the pump field. In the presence of laser intensity instabilities, however, locking does not occur, and polarization instabilities appear. For the f irst time to our knowledge, polarization chaos has been found in a laser system.