A high-power single-mode cw dye ring laser

A homogeneously broadened two-mode ring laser has two metastable states in which one or the other mode intensity is zero. Quantum fluctuations cause the system to switch spontaneously, and at random times, between these states. The probability distribution of the light intensity of one laser mode has been measured, and found to exhibit two completely resolved peaks at zero and nonzero intensities, as predicted. This confirms the existence of a first-order laser phase transition.PACS numbers: 42.50.+ q, 42.60.EbNumerous experiments with single-frequency ring lasers have demonstrated that, when the gain medium is homogeneously broadened, one of the two traveling-wave modes tends to suppress the other one. 1 " 5 This phenomenon, which appears to have been first predicted by White, 6 is the result of mode competition for the emitted photons. The equations of motion of the twomode laser exhibit two metastable solutions, in which one or the other mode amplitude is zero. However, in general there is no stable state, and sooner or later a large quantum fluctuation causes the system to switch spontaneously from one metastable state to the other. The mode switching is associated with a discontinuity in the order parameter for the phase transition of the laser field, 7 and therefore corresponds to one of the few cases in which a laser exhibits a firstorder phase transition. 4 As a result of the metabistability, the probability distribution (P(l) of the light intensity / of either mode exhibits two peaks, for which evidence has recently been obtained by photon-counting experiments. 4 However, it was not possible to extract the form of

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“…1 ' 2 We show that this phenomenon appears as a limitcycle oscillation in a model of a laser with absorber. 3 …”

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confidence: 97%

“…'4 Using the notation introduced in Ref 3. we have and A dot over a quantity indicates time derivative.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Macroscopic Quantum Fluctuations and First-Order Phase Transition in a Laser

et al. 1981

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“…A ring laser without a diode oscillates with equal power flowing in both directions in broadband operation (where the three-plate birefringent filter [ 131 is the narrowest frequency-selecting element). The same laser with etalons added, in single-frequency operation, will oscillate in one direction [3] only, but the direction around the ring switches randomly.…”

Section: Minimum Diode Strengthmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Ring dye lasers are capable of watt-level single-frequency outputs [3] because they may be pumped with the full power of available ion lasers. In contrast, an input power limit exists in a standing-wave dye laser due to the regions of unsaturated gain in the pumped volume of the dye jet at the nodes of the standing wave.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The significant early work on ring dye lasers was done by Frolich et al [3], [6], [7] where an external retroreflecting mirror was used to produce an acceptable level of stability, of one-way traveling-wave operation for their experiments. This technique was later proven to be unsound on theoretical grounds [8] and was in our trials always unsatisfactory.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Design and performance of a broad-band optical diode to enforce one-direction traveling-wave operation of a ring laser

Johnston

Proffitt

1980

IEEE J. Quantum Electron.

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The principles for designing an intracavity "optical diode" for operation over a broad wavelength range are discussed. This is a device for enforcing one-direction traveling-wave operation of a ring laser. Test results in four dyes spanning the visible spectrum for two diode designs are given. The design with the broadest range, based on SF-2 glass as the Faraday rotator material, has given stable one-direction single-frequency operation from 425 to 810 nm.

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New Methods in High-Resolution Laser Spectroscopy

Couillaud¹,

Ducasse²

1984

Progress in Atomic Spectroscopy Part C

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A high-power single-mode cw dye ring laser

Cited by 68 publications

References 12 publications

Macroscopic Quantum Fluctuations and First-Order Phase Transition in a Laser

Macroscopic Quantum Fluctuations and First-Order Phase Transition in a Laser

Design and performance of a broad-band optical diode to enforce one-direction traveling-wave operation of a ring laser

New Methods in High-Resolution Laser Spectroscopy

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