Self-knowledge reduces conflict by biasing one of plural possible answers.

The authors investigated whether self-knowledge has a function to reduce conflict by biasing one of two choices during occupational choice (e.g., Which occupation do you think you could do better?-dancer or chemist).

Irregular lasing pattern formation and dynamic effects in a thin-slice solid-state laser.

We found an abrupt transverse-mode transition from an irregular to a Gaussian lasing pattern or billiard-like lasing patterns with increasing the pump power in a laser-diode-pumped thin-slice Nd:GdVO4 laser with coated dielectric mirrors on both ends. A variety of irregular stationary lasing patterns were observed with a slight change in the pump position due to polished crystal surface roughness and ineffective lasing field confinement in transverse directions. A physical interpretation for observed irregular patterns was given in terms of wave formations in gradient refractive index lens with undulated reflective end surfaces.

Burst synchronization in two thin-slice solid-state lasers incoherently coupled face to face.

We studied the dynamic behavior of laser-diode-pumped nonidentical thin-slice solid-state lasers, coupled face to face, with orthogonally polarized emissions. When such an incoherent mutual optical coupling was introduced, the coupled lasers exhibited slow fluctuations of transverse-mode patterns, and isolated lasers exhibited stable transverse-mode patterns. When one laser exhibited nonorthogonal multi-transverse-mode operations without coupling, simultaneous random bursts of chaotic relaxation oscillations took place in both lasers over time with coupling.