Abstract

The development of the transverse mode in a gain-guided self-Q-switched laser is studied using a time- resolved measurement. For lasers with a large cross-sectional area, the time required for the development of the steady-state modal profile is longer than the pulse duration. This will result in transient profiles that considerably deviate from the steady-state profile prescribed by the eigen modes of the refractive index profile.

© 1994 Optical Society of America