EXCITATION OF RELAXATIONAL OSCILLATIONS R ESULTING FROM A CO2-LASER FREQUENCY-SHIFT

Transient processes caused by a single-mode CO2 laser frequency shift are analyzed in terms of the Maxwell equations and the ''five-reservoi r'' kinetic model. The effect is explained by the excitation of relaxa tional oscillations of the active medium causing the gain variation du e to the generation frequency shift along the lasing transition contou r. A discrepancy between the relaxational frequencies found for small perturbations of a two-level system and the frequencies calculated in terms of our model is apparently associated with the effects of the ni trogen mode. The ways of reducing the transient processes, as well as using them in practical applications, are suggested.