Abstract

We have observed chaotic and periodic passive Q-switching pulsations, for the first time to our knowledge, in an 11-μm. hot-band oscillation of a CO₂ laser, using SF₆ and CCl₂F₂ as intracavity saturable absorbers. The observed pulse shapes are well reproduced by the calculation based on a novel rate-equation model with consideration of vibration–vibration energy-transfer processes between highly excited vibrational levels in the CO₂ laser medium. The passive Q-switching dynamics is found to be strongly correlated with the relaxation of the lower laser level. The vibrational relaxation rate constant is estimated by the analysis of pulse shapes.

© 1992 Optical Society of America

Instability in a CO₂ sequence-band laser with a saturable absorber and vibration-to-vibration energy transfer processes

Toshiki Sugawara, Feng-Lei Hong, Maki Tachikawa, and Tadao Shimizu
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 10(2) 265-270 (1993)

Laser instability and chaotic pulsation in a CO₂ laser with intracavity saturable absorber

Maki Tachikawa, Kazuhito Tanii, and Tadao Shimizu
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 5(5) 1077-1082 (1988)

Passive Q-switching instability and bistability of a N₂O laser with intracavity saturable absorber

Feng-Lei Hong, Maki Tachikawa, Bo-Feng Li, and Tadao Shimizu
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 5(11) 2315-2321 (1988)

Chaotic passive Q-switching pulsation in a N₂O laser with a saturable absorber

Feng-Lei Hong, Maki Tachikawa, Reiko Oda, and Tadao Shimizu
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 6(7) 1378-1382 (1989)

Sinusoidal self-modulation in the output of a CO₂ laser with an intracavity saturable absorber

Kazuhito Tanii, Maki Tachikawa, Masatoshi Kajita, and Tadao Shimizu
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 5(1) 24-28 (1988)