# Spontaneous emergence of rogue waves in partially coherent waves: a quantitative experimental comparison between hydrodynamics and optics

## TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the universal emergence of rogue waves in both hydrodynamic and optical systems with JONSWAP spectra, showing good agreement between experiments and simulations, and highlighting their fundamental nature.

## Contribution

It provides a quantitative experimental comparison between hydrodynamics and optics, revealing universal features of rogue wave formation under similar spectral conditions.

## Key findings

- Heavy tails in wave amplitude distributions observed in both systems
- Good agreement between experimental results and numerical simulations
- Universal features of rogue waves demonstrated across different physical systems

## Abstract

Rogue waves are extreme and rare fluctuations of the wave field that have been discussed in many physical systems. Their presence substantially influences the statistical properties of an incoherent wave field. Their understanding is fundamental for the design of ships and offshore platforms. Except for very particular meteorological conditions, waves in the ocean are characterised by the so-called JONSWAP (Joint North Sea Wave Project) spectrum. Here we compare two unique experimental results: the first one has been performed in a 270-meter wave tank and the other in optical fibers. In both cases, waves characterised by a JONSWAP spectrum and random Fourier phases have been launched at the input of the experimental device. The quantitative comparison, based on an appropriate scaling of the two experiments, shows a very good agreement between the statistics in hydrodynamics and optics. Spontaneous emergence of heavy tails in the probability density function of the wave amplitude is observed in both systems. The results demonstrate the universal features of rogue waves and provide a fundamental and explicit bridge between two important fields of research. Numerical simulations are also compared with experimental results.