Non-Gaussian statistics and extreme waves in a nonlinear optical cavity
  A unidirectional optical oscillator is built by using a liquid crystal light-valve that couples a pump beam with the modes of a nearly spherical cavity. For sufficiently high pump intensity, the cavity field presents a complex spatio-temporal dynamics, accompanied by the emission of extreme waves and large deviations from the Gaussian statistics. We identify a mechanism of spatial symmetry breaking, due to a hypercycle-type amplification through the nonlocal coupling of the cavity field. 
A. Montina, U. Bortolozzo, S. Residori, F. T. Arecchi
physics.optics physics.flu-dyn