TRANSVERSAL MODE COMPETITION IN ERBIUM-DOPED TI-LINBO3 WAVE-GUIDE LASERS

Theoretical modeling of Erbium-doped LiNbO3 waveguide lasers has been developed considering the competition between q-TM and q-TE signal mod es, Two different approaches have been used: the first is based on the mean field approximation for signal and pump power and for population inversion, the second takes into account the longitudinal distributio n of the pump power and of the population densities, Our formulation t akes into account, for the first time, the competition between orthogo nally polarized modes, evaluating the transversal overlap between the fields and the population inversion, the effects of double pass for th e pump, the signal and pump saturation effects, the stimulated emissio n also at pump wavelength, the wavelength dependent cross sections and mirror reflectivities. A diffused dopant distribution in depth and un iform in lateral direction have been used, A q-TM or q-TE pump mode ar ound 1.48 mu m has been considered, The threshold pump power optimizat ion has been performed changing the dopant profile diffusion depth and maximum surface concentration, The results show how, above threshold, various types of output power characteristics, experimentally found, are due to the different transversal saturation of q-TM and q-TE lasin g modes.