Features of the dynamics of lasers with a saturable absorber

The dynamics of free-running lasers and lasers operating in the amplification regime is considered. It is shown that the stability of a wave propagating in the amplifier depends on the wave velocity. A regular wave propagating at the superluminal velocity in class A amplifiers can lose its stability, and its propagation becomes random. The appearance of the periodic or random pulsations of the amplitude in the laser-generator with a saturable absorber operating in the hard excitation regime leads to the self-switching off (quenching) of lasing despite continuous pumping.