Experimental system of coupled map lattices

We design an optical feedback loop system consisting of a liquid-crystal spatial light modulator (SLM), a lens, polarizers, a CCD camera, and a computer. The system images every SLM pixel onto one camera pixel. The light intensity on the camera pixel shows a nonlinear relationship with the phase shift applied by the SLM. Every pixel behaves as a nonlinear map, and we can control the interaction of pixels. Therefore, this feedback loop system can be regarded as a spatially extended system. This experimental coupled map has variable dimensions, which can be up to 512 by 512. The system can be used to study high-dimensional problems that computer simulations cannot handle.