Abstract

The techniques of Q-switching and mode locking, using saturated-absorption media, are widely utilized in modern laser instruments. Taking account of this fact, we regarded the laser active and passive Q-switch media in a laser system as a combination of two coupled four-level subsystems and analyzed the behavior in terms of rate equations for these systems. The passive Q-switch media also act as a laser active media while they work as Q-switches. Some numerical solutions of the equations for several different sets of parameters were obtained, and the relationship between the output powers of both subsystems was discussed.

© 1986 Optical Society of America