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Physical Review Letters

Dynamics of Laser Eigenstates

A. Le Floch, Guy Ropars, J. Lenormand, Roger Le Naour

Published Mar 12, 1984• 79 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The spatial representation of the generalized potentials associated with the two eigenstates of a quasi-isotropic laser, in the frame of the Landau theory, predicts two different types of first-order phase transitions. The different dynamics of the corresponding vectorial bistabilities are confirmed by an experiment with a laser with two oscillating nondegenerate eigenstates. Polarization instabilities predicted in the first type of transition are experimentally shown.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.52.918

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The spatial representation of the generalized potentials associated with the two eigenstates of a quasi-isotropic laser, in the frame of the Landau theory, predicts two different types of first-order phase transitions. The different dynamics of the corresponding vectorial bistabilities are confirmed by an experiment with a laser with two oscillating nondegenerate eigenstates. Polarization instabilities predicted in the first type of transition are experimentally shown.
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In a previous paper [Phys. Rev. A 52, 4229 (1995)] a vectorial model has been derived to describe the dynamics of an optical fiber laser output. In this semiclassical theory, the time-dependent behaviors of the two field polarizations are deduced through the interaction between the light and the active atoms which supposes the presence of a vectorial atomic polarization. This paper is devoted to the analysis of the dynamics presented by such a model using the bifurcation theory. An analytical study investigates the parameter space as far as possible and numerical simulations show the presence of various types of behaviors displayed by the two output field polarizations in the domains where the steady states have lost their stability. The influence of the pump polarization is emphasized. The results are in accordance with the experimental observations.
The basic mechanisms of the polarization switching in vectorial bistable lasers are studied both theoretically and experimentally versus internal parameters. In particular, by scanning the frequency of a gas laser with two linearly polarized eigenstates, two quite different flipping processes with hysteresis occur according to the linear-phase-anisotropy value of the cavity. Indeed, when the anisotropy increases, rotation and inhibition mechanisms appear successively. The variations of the hysteresis loop for different anisotropy and excitation values are theoretically found to be opposed in the two processes. Additional evolutions of the polarization, such as multiple switchings in the inhibition mechanism and ``hybrid'' hysteresis loops, are predicted. The experiments, essentially performed on a monomode 3.39-\ensuremath{\mu}m $^{3}\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}^{20}$Ne laser containing an adjustable linear phase anisotropy, confirm the existence of the two processes and their corresponding properties. These processes may also occur in other quasi-isotropic lasers versus other internal parameters, such as, for instance, the injection current in semiconductor lasers. In this case the TE and TM modes flip only in the inhibition mechanism when the bistability conditions are satisfied. The knowledge of the basic flipping mechanisms in the laser itself enables us to understand and realize the external optical-polarization control by an anisotropic feedback (one-frequency systems). Induced-rotation and induced-inhibition mechanisms are then theoretically predicted and experimentally verified. Sensitive optical gates are realized by varying the feedback phase in both processes.
The basic mechanisms of external all-optical control of polarization bistabilities are isolated in one- and two-frequency systems. Induced rotation and induced inhibition mechanisms by vectorial injection in lasers are theoretically predicted and experimentally shown in both systems. The sensitivity of the vectorial systems leads to subfemtojoule switching energies, which correspond to the theoretical threshold values. A reduction by four orders of magnitude compared to the lowest energy demonstrated in scalar passive systems is obtained.