Results are presented of a computer-based study on the rate of excitation in the active cores of two types of optically pumped lasers as a function of a number of parameters of the active core. The absorption bands of the active materials are generated by Lorentzian and Gaussian functions. The excitation rate of the active core is proportional to the width of the absorption band at all depths of penetration. The plots of excitation rate as a function of frequency show curves similar to line reversal spectra and emphasize the importance of excitation some distance from the center of the absorption band in the slab model. In the cylindrical model, this wing pumping is even more important due to focusing. The effect of refractive index on the excitation rate is also described.

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