Spiking emission from neodymium garnet lasers

The rate equations are used to consider the response of the emission intensity of a neodymium garnet laser when the resonator losses are modulated. Models of a laser emitting one and two longitudinal modes are considered. The results are given of an experimental investigation of the relationship between the modulation of the resonator losses (because of natural instabilities) and pulsations of the emission intensity of a cw neodymium garnet laser. It is shown that the main physical mechanism of the spiking is the quenching of weaker modes as a result of modulation of the resonator losses.