DECAY-RATE OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC-FIELD POLARIZATION IN A VECTOR LASER

We show analytically that a new decay rate (the decay rate of the elec tromagnetic field polarization) can be introduced in a vector laser sy stem. Unlike the decay rate of the field intensity this decay rate is defined by the anisotropic properties of the laser. In fact, the reson ator anisotropy results in breaking of the coherence in relaxation of the field intensity and the field polarization state. The presence of an additional decay rate provides a mechanism for nonlinear dynamics e ven in a class-A vector laser in which material dynamics is not import ant.