Breakage of the induced mode synchronization in a solid state laser and the anomalous effect of spontaneous noise level on the synchronization bandwidth

Abstract

The process of optical pulse formation in a solid state laser in the regime of induced mode synchronization and the development of breakage upon frequency detuning are considered based on a numerical solution of the Maxwell-Bloch equation. It is established that breakage of the sequence and shape of laser pulses in the course of an increase in the frequency detuning begins with the appearance of a periodic modulation of the pulse sequence envelope by low-frequency relaxation oscillations. These oscillations transform into regular spikes, which follow the scenario of period doubling that leads to a chaotic regime. It is also established that an optimum level of spontaneous noise exists at which the synchronization bandwidth is maximum, while the duration of pulses is minimum at a fixed loss modulation amplitude. This scheme of synchronization breakage was qualitatively confirmed in experiments on a YAG:Nd laser (λ = 1.06 μm) with cavity loss modulation at an intermode beat frequency.