Infrared CO2 Laser With Intracavity Absorber: Static And Dynamic Nonlinear Behaviour

Abstract

The infrared CO2 laser with an intracavity saturable gas absorber presents the bistable, unstable and chaotic regimes. The bistable and unstable regimes have been experimentally investigated through the different static and dynamic responses. The static behaviour is described by a phase diagram. In the dynamic regims, where a control parameter is swept in time or is modified through a step function, the amplitude of the bistability region,the delay time in the response of the system and the fluctuations in the response have been measured. The experimental results have been described through a rate-equation approach.