Abstract

We study here the laser using an optical bistable device as the output mirror in which the bistable device is formed by a nonlinear Fabry-Perot etalon. We start our study from the semiclassical dynamical model for one-mode operation,¹ in which the frequency pulling effect, a finite response time τ_n of the nonlinear medium, and a finite cavity round-trip time τ_b of the Fabry-Perot etalon are included. First, we stimulate the effects of the parameters on switching dynamics when the laser is switched by pump pulses. We find that: (1) there exists critical slowing down in this system (see Fig. 1), and the slowing down is more pronounced in the down switching than in the up switching. Above phenomena are adverse with that in the nonlinear Fabry-Perot etalon we used here,² (2) for given parameters and amplitude of the pump pulse there is a critical pulse duration T_c, and the larger the value of τ_n (or τ_b, or the field damping constant τ of the laser cavity) the longer T_c is. Secondly, we switch the laser by using a pulse of the etalon phase shift. We also see the critical slowing down, and find that the larger the value of τ_b (or the smaller τ_n ) the longer T_c is.

© 1994 IEEE