Stability properties of the monochromatic spectrum in a double-cavity laser

DUARTE A. A., SOLARI H. G.

PHYSICAL REVIEW A - ATOMIC, MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS

Año: 1999 vol. 60 p. 2403 - 2412

1050-2947

   We discuss the process by which the spectrum of monochromatic modes of the laser in a double-cavity laserchanges from that proper to a short cavity into that proper to a long cavity as the reflectivity of the ``external´´mirror is varied from 0 to 1. This work is the natural continuation of our previous work Phys. Rev. A 58, 614 1998 , where the bifurcations occurring during this metamorphosis were studied. The transformation ismostly dictated by the boundary conditions and occurs regardless of the laser model. This transition is beyondthe possibilities of simpler double-cavity laser models, such as those of Lang and Kobayashi IEEE J. QuantumElectron. QE-16, 347 1980 . The stability properties of the monochromatic modes are studied as a functionof the reflectivity of the external mirror R, the external cavity length L, and the applied current J. It is shownthat for reflectivity values corresponding to the metamorphosis of the spectrum, by varying J and/or R, thesystem can give rise to a Hopf instability that involves the excitation of a roughly discrete set of frequencies.Note that these features are also beyond the possibilities of simpler models. We also discuss the role played bynoise and show that it is possible for the system to show a high degree of susceptibility to noise, depending onJ. S1050-2947 99 10608-5