Vi. Igoshin et Rr. Letfullin, Ultrahigh energy gain in small volumes of the active medium in a laser based on an autowave photon-branched chain reaction, QUANTUM EL, 30(12), 2000, pp. 1049-1054
The possibility is demonstrated of initiating an autowave photon-branched c
hain reaction (PBCR) in an originally small focal volume of the laser activ
e medium (H-2-F-2-O-2-He-Al particles) by the external IR radiation focused
with a lens. It is shown that the PBCR can spread over the entire active m
edium of the laser with an unstable telescopic cavity, in the form of self-
sustained cylindrical zones of photon branching. The autowave laser-chemica
l reaction initiated in the lens focus strongly reduces the required energy
of the initial input pulse to 0.01 muJ, thereby providing a huge energy ga
in of similar to 10(11). Because of this ultrahigh gain, a small submicrojo
ule laser can be used as a master oscillator.