Abstract

Existing coupled-laser theories have been extended to analyze the case of two coupled lasers supporting two modes in each cavity. A set of eight coupled equations describing the amplitudes and phases of the two modes oscillating in each cavity has been solved numerically to evaluate the operating characteristics of the coupled-laser system. Locking ranges were computed for both single- and two-mode coupled-laser systems, and it was found that the presence of the additional mode reduces the locking range of the two-mode system to approximately one half that of the single-mode coupled lasers. A number of other oddities in behavior have been found, including a mutually reinforced hole-burning minimum in intensity and a phase-dependent shift of the laser frequency from the bare-cavity frequency.

© 1990 Optical Society of America

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