Actions for A rate equation approach to gain saturation effects in laser mode calculations
A rate equation approach to gain saturation effects in laser mode calculations
- Author
- Roberts, Lila F.
- Published
- Sep 1, 1990.
- Physical Description
- 1 electronic document
Online Version
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- Unclassified, Unlimited, Publicly available.
Free-to-read Unrestricted online access - Summary
- Space exploration and research require large amounts of power. Solar pumped laser systems have been shown to have the potential for meeting the performance requirements necessary for power transmission in space. The successful design of laser systems for these applications will depend, in part, on having a clear understanding of the development of the dynamical processes in the laser cavity and on the effects that changes in physical and design parameters have on laser performance. In particular, it is necessary to know the amplitude and phase distributions of the laser beam at the output aperture when steady state operation is achieved in order to determine the far-field power distribution. The output from the laser will depend on the active medium, the optical environment of the active material and on the gain distribution in the active region as laser action builds up and reaches steady state. An important component in the design process will be a realistic model of the active laser cavity. A computer model of the laser cavity, based on Huygens' principle was developed. The code calculates the amplitude and phase of an optical wave reflected back and forth between the mirrors of a laser cavity. The original code assumes a gain distribution which does not change with the buildup of oscillations in the cavity. A step in the direction of realism is the inclusion of a saturable gain medium in the cavity. The objective is to incorporate saturation effects into the existing computer model.
- Other Subject(s)
- Collection
- NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) Collection.
- Note
- Document ID: 19910004026.
Accession ID: 91N13339.
Hampton Univ., NASA/American Society for Engineering Ed; Hampton Univ., NASA(. - Terms of Use and Reproduction
- No Copyright.
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