Phase characteristics of pulses from an Nd:YAG laser with active mode locking

An experimental investigation was made of active mode locking in a cw solid-state Nd:YAG laser. The main output parameters of the laser — the amplitude, profile, and duration of a pulse, the position of a pulse relative to the loss-modulation function, and the width of the emission spectrum — were determined as a function of mismatch between the cavity length and its optimal value, and also as a function of the depth of loss modulation. Several fundamental discrepancies between our results and the Kuizenga – Siegman model were detected.