Active mode locking with hybrid lasers

We present the results of a numerical study of active mode locking with hyb rid lasers which contain an inhomogeneously broadened laser medium and a ho mogeneously broadened laser medium. The spectral, pulse, and gain character istics of actively mode-locked hybrid lasers and the influence of the unsat urated gain, the saturation power, and the homogeneous linewidth on the pul se coherence and bandwidth are studied. The simulations show that coherent and shorter pulses are generated as compared to that by either an inhomogen eously broadened medium or a homogeneously broadened medium alone. Varying the unsaturated gain or the saturation power of the gain medium are two equ ivalent ways to obtain the same maximal coherent pulse bandwidth for given gain media. When different gain media can be selected, a larger pulse bandw idth can be obtained with the use of a broadband homogeneously broadened me dium.