In this work we present a numerical study of a three-level laser containing a polarizable saturable absorber inside the cavity. This model allows us to study the kinetics of solid-state lasers in a general form. The stability of Q-switching regime is analyzed by means of numerical solution of rate equations; and main results of our analysis let us suggest that under certain conditions, the laser may pass from unstable relaxation oscillations to a stable CW operation by changing the mutual orientation of the absorber and polarizer, or by choosing the pump level.

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1. K. Spariosu, W. Chen, R. Stultz, M. Birnbaum, and A.V. Shestakov, "Dual Q-switching and laser action at 1.05 and 1.44 m in a Nd3+:YAG - Cr4+:YAG oscillator at 300 K," Opt. Lett. 18, 814 (1993). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
2. H.J. Eichler, A. Haase, M.R. Kokta, and R. Menzel, "Cr4+:YAG as a passive Q-switch for a Nd:YAG oscillator with an average repetition rate of 2.7 KHz, TEM00 mode and 13 W output," Appl. Phys. B 58, 409 (1994). [CrossRef]
3. Y. Shimony, Z. Burstein, A. Ben-Amar Baranga, Y. Kalisky, and M. Strauss, "Repetively Q-switching of a CW Nd:YAG laser using Cr4+:YAG saturable absorbers," IEEE J. Quant. Electron. QE-32, 305 (1996). [CrossRef]
4. A. Agnesi, S. Dell'Acqua, C. Morello, G. Piccino, G.C. Reali, and Z. Sun, "Diode-pumped neodymium lasers repetitively Q-switched by Cr4+:YAG solid-state saturable absorbers," IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron. 3, 45 (1997). [CrossRef]
5. I.V. Klimov, I.A. Scherbakov, and V.B. Tsvetkov, "Control of the Nd:YAG laser output by Cr-doped Qswitches," Laser Phys. 8, 232 (1998).
6. A.V. Kir'yanov, V. Aboites, and I.V. Mel'nikov, "Second-harmonic generation by Nd3+:YAG/Cr4+:YAG laser pulses with changing state of polarization," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 17, 1657 (2000). [CrossRef]
7. A.V. Kir'yanov, V. Aboites, and I.V. Mel'nikov, "Enhancing type-II second harmonic generation by the use of a laser beam with a rotating azimuth of polarization," Appl. Phys. Lett. 78, 874 (2001). [CrossRef]
8. N.N. Ilichev, A.V. Kir'yanov, E.S. Gulyamova, and P.P. Pashinin, "Polarization of a neodymium laser with a passive switch based on a Cr4+:YAG crystal," Quantum Electron. 28, 17 (1998). [CrossRef]
9. M. Brunel, O. Emile, M. Vallet, F. Brtenaker, A. Le Floch, L. Fulbert, J. Marty, B. Ferrand, and E. Molva, "Experimental and theoretical study of monomode vectorial lasers passively Q-switched by Cr4+:YAG absorbers," Phys. Rev. A60, 4052 (1999).
10. see, e.g., K.V. Yumashev, N.N. Posnov, I.A. Denisov, V.P. Mikhailov, and R. Moncorge, "Nonlinear spectroscopy and passive Q-switching of Cr4+:doped SrGd4(SiO4)3O and CaGd4(SiO4)3O crystals," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B15, 1707 (1998), and references therein.

Other

• K. Spariosu, W. Chen, R. Stultz, M. Birnbaum, and A.V. Shestakov, "Dual Q-switching and laser action at 1.05 and 1.44 m in a Nd3+:YAG - Cr4+:YAG oscillator at 300 K," Opt. Lett. 18, 814 (1993). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• H.J. Eichler, A. Haase, M.R. Kokta, and R. Menzel, "Cr4+:YAG as a passive Q-switch for a Nd:YAG oscillator with an average repetition rate of 2.7 KHz, TEM00 mode and 13 W output," Appl. Phys. B 58, 409 (1994). [CrossRef]
• Y. Shimony, Z. Burstein, A. Ben-Amar Baranga, Y. Kalisky, and M. Strauss, "Repetively Q-switching of a CW Nd:YAG laser using Cr4+:YAG saturable absorbers," IEEE J. Quant. Electron. QE-32, 305 (1996). [CrossRef]
• A. Agnesi, S. Dell'Acqua, C. Morello, G. Piccino, G.C. Reali, and Z. Sun, "Diode-pumped neodymium lasers repetitively Q-switched by Cr4+:YAG solid-state saturable absorbers," IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron. 3, 45 (1997). [CrossRef]
• I.V. Klimov, I.A. Scherbakov, and V.B. Tsvetkov, "Control of the Nd:YAG laser output by Cr-doped Qswitches," Laser Phys. 8, 232 (1998).
• A.V. Kir'yanov, V. Aboites, and I.V. Mel'nikov, "Second-harmonic generation by Nd3+:YAG/Cr4+:YAG laser pulses with changing state of polarization," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 17, 1657 (2000). [CrossRef]
• A.V. Kir'yanov, V. Aboites, and I.V. Mel'nikov, "Enhancing type-II second harmonic generation by the use of a laser beam with a rotating azimuth of polarization," Appl. Phys. Lett. 78, 874 (2001). [CrossRef]
• N.N. Ilichev, A.V. Kir'yanov, E.S. Gulyamova, and P.P. Pashinin, "Polarization of a neodymium laser with a passive switch based on a Cr4+:YAG crystal," Quantum Electron. 28, 17 (1998). [CrossRef]
• M. Brunel, O. Emile, M. Vallet, F. Brtenaker, A. Le Floch, L. Fulbert, J. Marty, B. Ferrand, and E. Molva, "Experimental and theoretical study of monomode vectorial lasers passively Q-switched by Cr4+:YAG absorbers," Phys. Rev. A60, 4052 (1999).
• see, e.g., K.V. Yumashev, N.N. Posnov, I.A. Denisov, V.P. Mikhailov, and R. Moncorge, "Nonlinear spectroscopy and passive Q-switching of Cr4+:doped SrGd4(SiO4)3O and CaGd4(SiO4)3O crystals," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B15, 1707 (1998), and references therein.

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