  We analyze the nonlinear dynamics of a high-finesse optical cavity in which
one mirror is mounted on a flexible mechanical element. We find that this
system is governed by an array of dynamical attractors, which arise from
phase-locking between the mechanical oscillations of the mirror and the ringing
of the light intensity in the cavity. We describe an analytical approximation
to map out the diagram of attractors in parameter space, derive the slow
amplitude dynamics of the system, including thermally activated hopping between
different attractors, and suggest a scheme for exploiting the dynamical
multistability in the measurement of small displacements.
