Abstract
In the previous chapters we have looked at theoretical aspects of the various components that together make up a laser. These, including the interaction of an e.m. wave with a two-level system (i.e., active laser material), the pumping processes, and the modes of a passive resonator, have been covered in Chapters 2, 3, and 4, respectively. In this chapter we will use these various results to develop a theory for the behavior of a laser both for continuous wave (cw) and transient operation. The theory developed here uses the so-called rate-equation approximation. Within this approximation the laser equations are derived by a simple balance between the rate of change of total population and total number of laser photons. This theory has the advantage of providing a very simple and intuitive picture of laser behavior. Furthermore, it gives sufficiently accurate results for most practical purposes. A more refined theory will be developed in Chapter 9.
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Svelto, O. (1976). Continuous Wave and Transient Laser Behavior. In: Principles of Lasers. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2748-4_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2748-4_5
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
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