Laser Dynamics

by Thomas Erneux , Pierre Glorieux

• ISBN13: 9780521830409
• ISBN10: 0521830400
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-06-07
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Bridging the gap between laser physics and applied mathematics, this book offers a new perspective on laser dynamics. Combining fresh treatments of classic problems with up-to-date research, asymptotic techniques appropriate for nonlinear dynamical systems are shown to offer a powerful alternative to numerical simulations. The combined analytical and experimental description of dynamical instabilities provides a clear derivation of physical formulae and an evaluation of their significance. Starting with the observation of different time scales of an operating laser, the book develops approximation techniques to systematically explore their effects. Laser dynamical regimes are introduced at different levels of complexity, from standard turn-on experiments to stiff, chaotic, spontaneous or driven pulsations. Particular attention is given to quantitative comparisons between experiments and theory. The book broadens the range of analytical tools available to laser physicists and provides applied mathematicians with problems of practical interest, making it invaluable for graduate students and researchers.

Author Biography

Thomas Erneux is a Professor of Theoretical Nonlinear Optics at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles. His current interests concentrate on studying specific laser dynamical phenomena and the applications of delay differential equations in all areas of science and engineering

Pierre Glorieux is a Professor in the Laboratoire de Physique des Lasers, Atomes et Molecules, Universite des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, and a Senior Member of the Institut Universitaire de France. Recently, he has studied spatiotemporal dynamics in liquid crystals and photorefractive oscillators

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
List of abbreviations	p. xv
Basic tools	p. 1
Rate equations	p. 3
Dimensionless equations	p. 4
Steady states and linear stability	p. 6
Turn-on transients	p. 10
Transfer function	p. 17
Dynamical system	p. 19
Spontaneous emission	p. 26
Semiconductor lasers	p. 31
Exercises and problems	p. 34
Three- and four-level lasers	p. 39
Energy level schemes in lasers	p. 40
Three-level lasers	p. 41
Four-level lasers	p. 49
Exercises and problems	p. 57
Phase dynamics	p. 59
Phase-locking in laser dynamics	p. 59
Vectorial laser in presence of Faraday driving	p. 60
Adler's equation	p. 64
Laser with an injected signal	p. 66
Counterpropagating waves in ring class A lasers	p. 70
Coupled lasers	p. 75
Exercises and problems	p. 79
Hopf bifurcation dynamics	p. 84
Electrical feedback	p. 87
Ikeda system	p. 96
From harmonic to pulsating oscillations	p. 103
Exercises	p. 104
Driven laser systems	p. 109
Weakly modulated lasers	p. 111
Driven Adler's equation	p. 112
Weakly modulated class B lasers	p. 119
Exercises and problems	p. 134
Strongly modulated lasers	p. 136
Generalized bistability	p. 137
Map for the strongly modulated laser	p. 143
Dual tone modulation near period-doubling bifurcation	p. 149
Slow passage	p. 155
Dynamical hysteresis	p. 156
Slow passage through a bifurcation point	p. 158
Period-doubling bifurcation	p. 168
Slow-fast dynamics	p. 170
Exercise	p. 170
Particular laser systems	p. 173
Laser with a saturable absorber	p. 175
LSA parameters	p. 177
LSA basic phenomena	p. 178
Rate equations	p. 182
PQS in CO2 lasers	p. 197
Exercises and problems	p. 208
Optically injected semiconductor lasers	p. 213
Semiconductor lasers	p. 214
Injection-locking	p. 216
Adler's equation	p. 217
Experiments and numerical simulations	p. 220
Stability of the steady states	p. 222
Nonlinear studies	p. 229
A third order Adler's equation	p. 234
Exercises and problems	p. 237
Delayed feedback dynamics	p. 241
History	p. 241
Imaging using OFB	p. 255
Optoelectronic oscillator	p. 261
Exercises	p. 268
Far-infrared lasers	p. 272
Vibrational bottleneck	p. 273
Lorenz chaos in the FIR laser	p. 275
Dual gain line instability	p. 281
Exercises	p. 292
Optical parametric oscillator	p. 294
Parametric processes	p. 294
Semiclassical model for the DOPO	p. 298
Experiments on TROPO-DOPO	p. 301
TROPO-DOPO and temperature effects	p. 306
Intracavity singly resonant parametric oscillator	p. 312
Intracavity SHG	p. 316
Antiphase dynamics in intracavity SHG	p. 318
Frequencies	p. 325
Antiphase dynamics in a fiber laser	p. 328
Exercises	p. 334
References	p. 336
Index	p. 358
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