Suter, Dieter2008-02-082008-02-081993-01-15Dieter Suter, Polarization oscillations of coupled laser beams in an optically pumped atomic vapour, Optics Communications Volume 95, Issues 4-6, 15 January 1993, Pages 255-259.0030-4018http://hdl.handle.net/2003/2499110.17877/DE290R-7959Spontaneous polarization oscillations are observed to develop in two laser beams interacting in an atomic vapour when their polarizations are locked to each other. In a theoretical analysis of the situation, we show that these oscillations are due to ground- state magnetization undergoing Larmor precession. The gain of the feedback loop that locks the two polarizations acts as a control parameter that can cause a phase-transition of the combined system (atoms and laser beams) into a stable limit cycle.enElsevier Science53010.1016/0030-4018(93)90673-Sarticle (journal)