SELF-PULSATIONS IN PHONON-ASSISTED LASERS

The observation of stable self-pulsing of a single-transverse-mode ale xandrite laser with a Fabry-Perot cavity is reported. This process occ urs many times above threshold and depends on the pump wavelength. The novel theoretical model, in which the dynamics of the host lattice ph onons is taken into account, is shown to explain this phenomenon. The border of the Hopf bifurcation is found in the plane of two parameters : the intensity and the frequency of the pump laser. In the region whe re self-pulsations occur they are proved to be the result of the photo n-phonon energy pulling. (C) 1998 Optical Society of America [S0740-32 24(98)02110-9] OCIS codes: 140.3580, 270.3430, 140.1540, 270.3130.