SWITCHING OF THE 2 COMPETING AMPLIFIED SPONTANEOUS EMISSION CHANNELS IN NO

Switching of the two competing amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) ch annels is reported for the first time. The principle is based upon a c haracteristic of the ASE process that amplification occurs above a cer tain threshold of the population inversion density. We demonstrated th at one of the two ASE channels could be suppressed almost completely b y pre-populating the corresponding lower level. Enhancement of the oth er ASE channel implies the possibility of manipulating population tran sfer in molecular system. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights re served.