Abstract

This paper consists of a theoretical discussion of maser action at optical frequencies with emphasis on the differences between stimulated emission and absorption in coherent and incoherent fields. Use is made of a geometrical representation of the equations of motion of the density matrix to illustrate the conditions for continuous-wave operation, amplification, production of large pulses, and for the appearance of relaxation oscillations.

© 1962 Optical Society of America

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Equations (26)

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