Non-equilibrium tricritical behavior in lasers

Journal Article · Tue Feb 19 23:00:00 EST 1991 · Modern Physics Letters A; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1142/S0217984991000290· OSTI ID:6061175

Mortazavi, M; Singh, S ^[1]

---

1. Dept. of Physics, Univ. of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR (US)

Tricritical behavior in lasers is reviewed briefly. Threshold behavior in the laser with a saturable absorber is interpreted in terms of first- and second-order phase transitions within the framework of Landau theory (mean field). The intersection of the lines of first- and second order phase transitions in this system provides an example of a non-equilibrium tricritical point. By varying the operating parameters of a He:Ne laser with an intracavity Ne absorber it was possible to operate the laser near the tricritical point. Experimental results are compared with the predictions of mean field theory.

• OSTI ID: 6061175
• Journal Information: Modern Physics Letters A; (United States), Journal Name: Modern Physics Letters A; (United States) Vol. 5:4; ISSN 0217-7323; ISSN MPLAE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
426002* -- Engineering-- Lasers & Masers-- (1990-)
661100 -- Classical & Quantum Mechanics-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CURRENTS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
FLUCTUATIONS
GAS LASERS
HELIUM-NEON LASERS
LANDAU FLUCTUATIONS
LASERS
MANY-BODY PROBLEM
MEAN-FIELD THEORY
MECHANICS
PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
QUANTUM MECHANICS
TESTING
THRESHOLD CURRENT
VARIATIONS