Transient processes in a C3 laser

An experimental investigation was made of transient processes occurring immediately after the beginning of pumping of a cleaved-coupled-cavity (C³) laser made of GaAlAs. Establishment of a steady state was accompanied by hopping of the longitudinal modes of the laser. The number of the hopping events and the direction of hopping depended on the amplitude of the pump current pulses in each section and on the time shift between them. The conditions for the attainment of single-frequency lasing without mode hopping were found.