Abstract

The synchronously pumped mode-locked (SPML) dye laser is one of the most efficient ways of producing tunable picosecond and subpicosecond optical pulses throughout the visible and near infrared. An issue of practical importance is the longterm stability associated with these devices, and of interest here is the specific timing relation between the pump pulse and the dye laser pulse. In this study we explore, experimentally and theoretically, this relationship for a rhodamine 6G SPML dye laser system. For positive detunings we have found an almost linear relationship between the occurrence time of the dye pulse and the cavity length detuning. Our semiclassical model works well in quantitatively predicting our experimental data.

© 1989 Optical Society of America