Ch. Chen et al., Beam-propagation-dominant instability in an axially pumped solid-state laser near degenerate resonator configurations, J OPT SOC B, 18(8), 2001, pp. 1076-1083
Propagation-dominant instabilities and chaos were found under so-called goo
d-cavity conditions in an axially pumped solid-state laser operated near th
e 1/3-degenerate cavity configuration that had not previously been studied
numerically. By using the generalized Huygens integral together with rate e
quations, we obtained a V-shaped configuration that depends on a quasi-peri
odic threshold. We call the propagation dominant because the laser behaves
as a conservative system governed by beam propagation. Although it had prev
iously been predicted that chaos would be impossible under nearly degenerat
e conditions, we have recognized that the laser is transformed into chaos a
s a result of the interplay of beam propagation and gain dynamics as the ca
vity is tuned close to degeneracy. (C) 2001 Optical Society of America.