The complex dynamics of delayed-feedback oscillators /Review/

The general scheme of a delayed-feedback oscillator (DFO) is described, and the inertial and nonlinear properties of the circuit are examined, the fundamental equation of the elementary model being presented. Attention is given to the linear oscillation stage (with mode expansion) as well as to the nonlinear stage of the transient process (the dynamics of the oscillation amplitude and oscillation phase). A classification of autooscillation regimes is presented, and a brief survey of published studies on DFOs is given. Results are presented concerning TWT oscillators, free-electron lasers, and a ring-resonator nonlinear-optic system.