Polarization states and coherent effects in a coherently pumped J ''=1 -> J=0 -> J '=1 isotropic-cavity laser - art. no. 033818

We have theoretically explored the behavior of a coherently pumped J" = 1 - -> J = 0 --> J' = 1 isotropic cavity laser and compared it with the behavio r of other related laser systems involving atomic or molecular levels with angular quantum numbers 0 and 1. It is shown that at low and moderate Dumpi ng strengths it behaves very differently from the J" = 0 --> J = 1 --> J' = 0 laser exhibiting no pump-induced gain anisotropy and allowing for linear ly polarized (LP) solutions with arbitrary azimuth and circularly polarized (CP) solutions, depending on the values of the molecular relaxation rates. Above the instability threshold, a variety of dynamic regimes involving th e polarization degree of freedom can be found, including LP states with rot ating azitnuth (as in incoherently pumped J = 0 --> J' = 1 or J = 1 --> J' = 0 lasers), antiphase dynamics, and full polarization chaos.