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Laser Physics

Optical bistability in the oscillation of an inhomogeneously broadened quasi-three-level laser

Junhai Liu, Xueping Tian

Published Mar 15, 2013• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A theoretical modeling analysis is presented to study the optical bistability exhibited in the oscillation of an inhomogeneously broadened quasi-three-level laser. All the major characteristics of optical bistability depend on two normalized parameters, f and xa, which are defined by f = Isat,a/Isat,m and xa = 2αa0pa/δ and are related to measurable properties of the laser medium. In comparison with the case of a homogeneously broadened laser, the essential condition for the occurrence of such bistability, f < xa/(xa + 1), turns out to be the same, whereas the intensities at the up- and down-thresholds are substantially increased and the bistability range is reduced.

DOI
10.1088/1054-660x/23/5/055001

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A theoretical modeling analysis is presented to study the optical bistability exhibited in the oscillation of an inhomogeneously broadened quasi-three-level laser. All the major characteristics of optical bistability depend on two normalized parameters, f and xa, which are defined by f = Isat,a/Isat,m and xa = 2αa0pa/δ and are related to measurable properties of the laser medium. In comparison with the case of a homogeneously broadened laser, the essential condition for the occurrence of such bistability, f < xa/(xa + 1), turns out to be the same, whereas the intensities at the up- and down-thresholds are substantially increased and the bistability range is reduced.
In this paper, we generalize a previously developed model describing the behavior of optical bistability in the operation of a quasi-three-level laser by taking into account a Gaussian transverse distribution for the laser mode and including inhomogeneous line broadening for the laser medium. The results show that apart from some quantitative modifications, the primary characteristics of bistability predicted by the simplified model remain correct; in particular, the fundamental condition for the existence of bistability,fxa/(xa+1), turns out to hold universally. It is also revealed that in comparison with the results obtained in the simplified model, the intensities at the up- and down-threshold will be increased, whereas the bistability range will be reduced.
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An analysis is made of the operation of a laser with a saturable absorber and dominant inhomogeneous line broadening. A four-level model is used to determine the characteristics of mode intensities and conditions for the appearance of an optical bistability. By analogy with a two-level model, the results obtained demonstrate that in single-mode operation this bistability appears only if the relaxation coefficients of the upper levels of atomic or molecular systems are different in the amplifying and absorbing parts of a laser. Moreover, a change in the inhomogeneous broadening alters greatly the optical bistability interval. The calculation method used in the present study can be readily extended to analyze a multimode laser.
The characteristics of the mode intensity and conditions for occurrence of optical bistability in a ring laser with a saturable absorber are considered. The rate equation approximation method is used to find analytic expressions for these characteristics. It is shown that changes in such physical parameters as the homogeneous and inhomogeneous broadening, coefficients of relaxation of amplifying and absorbing cells, etc. cause changes in the range of existence of optical bistability or a hysteresis cycle. The influence of inhomogeneous broadening and of spontaneous emission near the lasing threshold on the appearance of optical bistability is demonstrated for the single-mode regime.
The optical bistability (OB) behavior of single-mode Fabry- Perot lasers containing saturable absorber (LSA) is presented on the basis of the rate equations with allowance for spontaneous emission and spatial hole-burning. Special attention is paid to the case of dominant inhomogeneous broadening in both Lorentzian and Gaussian models. The OB occurrence conditions are clearly displayed in phase diagrams. The influence of the main LSA parameters on OB characteristics as well as on OB curves' stability are investigated in detail. Some practical suggestions for optimizing the bistable operation in LSA are also given.