Bidirectional ring laser: Stability analysis and time-dependent solutions

Journal Article · Fri Jan 15 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Phys. Rev. A; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.37.470· OSTI ID:5525461

Zeghlache, H; Mandel, P; Abraham, N B; Hoffer, L M; Lippi, G L; Mello, T

We provide a comprehensive analysis of the standard model of the bidirectional ring laser in which only one mode can be supported in each direction and in the limit that the polarization can be eliminated adiabatically. The interaction between the two counterpropagating modes can be derived and it is most naturally viewed as a coupling between them via scattering from a spatial grating formed in the population inversion. If the grating is a sufficiently small modulation of the spatial average of the population inversion, it can be approximated by a sinusoidal function. A systematic derivation of the model with only a sinusoidal grating for the homogeneously broadened case is presented that reveals and corrects errors in several previously published analyses. The stability of the steady-state solution is analyzed. The bidirectional steady-state solution is unstable and the unidirectional steady-state solutions may be stable or unstable depending on the parameters. The well-established result of bistability between the two modes when the cavity is tuned to resonance is recovered, a result that persists, in part, even when the losses between the two modes are different.

• Research Organization: Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Campus Plaine, CP 231, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
• OSTI ID: 5525461
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. A; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. A; (United States) Vol. 37:2; ISSN PLRAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420300* -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
BOUNDARY-VALUE PROBLEMS
CONTROL
COUNTERFLOW SYSTEMS
GRATINGS
LASERS
MODE CONTROL
OPTICAL MODES
OSCILLATION MODES
PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS
RING LASERS
SIMULATION
STABILITY