Abstract

Laser gain or phase-insensitive optical amplification is only possible in those situations wherein input fields automatically produce reactive material emission of similar and thus constructive phase. In wave mixing proceses, the phase of the material emission is determined through the influence of multiple pump fields. The archetypical system in which phase-insensitive gain can arise is the atomic transitions exhibiting population inversion. The study of inversionless lasing [1,2] is a study of situations in which phase insensitive gain can be created in systems of various kinds in the absence of normal population inversions.

© 1996 Optical Society of America