Abstract

Actively mode-locked Nd:YAG and Nd:YLF lasers are widely used for the production of ultrashort optical pulses either as pump sources or as the main sources In pulse compression setups. The behavior of these lasers depends critically on the loss modulation frequency.¹ Moreover, the instability of the mode-locked pulse amplitude persists even when the modulation frequency is perfectly tuned. As of today, no model gives a fully satisfactory explanation of these phenomena.² The purpose of this paper is to identify the physical mechanisms underlying the dynamics of these lasers.

© 1988 Optical Society of America