Defect-freezing and Defect-unbinding in the Vector Complex Ginzburg-Landau Equation

We describe the dynamical behavior found in numerical solutions of the Vector Complex Ginzburg-Landau equation in parameter values where plane waves are stable. Topological defects in the system are responsible for a rich behavior. At low coupling between the vector components, a {\sl frozen} phase is found, whereas a {\sl gas-like} phase appears at higher coupling. The transition is a consequence of a defect unbinding phenomena. Entropy functions display a characteristic behavior around the transition.