Generation of ultrashort pulses in a two-component laser under induced mode-locking conditions

A method was developed for generating ultrashort pulses of duration close to the reciprocal of the width of the gain profile. This method was based on mode locking induced by active modulation of the resonator losses at the intennodal frequency. This locking occurred in a laser with a two-component (amplifyingabsorbing) medium with a homogeneously broadened line. A theoretical analysis was followed by an experimental investigation of the formation of ultrashort pulses in a traveling-wave laser of this type. The theoretical and experimental results were found to be in good qualitative agreement. The experiments demonstrated that stable ultrashort pulses of ~5×10^–12 sec duration could be generated.