cooperative lasing (original) (raw)
Author: the photonics expert (RP)
Definition: the phenomenon that laser action at one wavelength can facilitate lasing at another wavelength
Alternative term: cascade lasing
Category: 
laser devices and laser physics
- laser physics
- cooperative lasing
- gain efficiency
- in-band pumping
- gain narrowing
- gain saturation
- Kuizenga–Siegman theory
- laser dynamics
- laser gain media
- laser transitions
- laser threshold
- lasing without inversion
- linewidth enhancement factor
- lower-state lifetime
- McCumber theory
- metastable states
- mode competition
- mode hopping
- modes of laser operation
- multiphonon transitions
- non-radiative transitions
- optical pumping
- output coupling efficiency
- parasitic lasing
- population inversion
- pulse generation
- radiation-balanced lasers
- radiative lifetime
- rate equation modeling
- reciprocity method
- relaxation oscillations
- single-frequency operation
- single-mode operation
- slope efficiency
- spatial hole burning
- spiking
- Stark level manifolds
- stimulated emission
- threshold pump power
- thresholdless lasers
- transition cross-sections
- twisted-mode technique
- ultrafast laser physics
- upconversion
- upper-state lifetime
- wavelength tuning
- (more topics)
Related: self-terminating laser transitionslaser transitionslasersfiber laserslower-state lifetime
DOI: 10.61835/r6p Cite the article: BibTex BibLaTex plain textHTML Link to this page! LinkedIn
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What is Cooperative Lasing?
Figure 1: An energy level scheme, where cooperative lasing on transition 2 supports lasing on transition 1.
There are level schemes of laser gain media where a laser transition is difficult to operate because the lower laser level has a high lifetime — possibly higher than that of the upper laser level. In such a situation, ions can accumulate in the lower laser level, so that the resulting reabsorption of laser light stops laser action soon after it started (→ self-terminating laser transitions). This can occur e.g. in some erbium- or thulium-doped heavy metal glasses (e.g. Er:ZBLAN, see also fluoride fibers). The problem can affect amplifiers in the same way as lasers.
Cooperative lasing (also called cascade lasing) constitutes one of several possibilities for solving that problem. Here, the lower laser level is depopulated by laser action on an additional laser transition to a still lower-lying energy level. This can be achieved by making the laser resonator so that it has low optical round-trip losses also at the wavelength of the additional laser transition. Ref. [3] presents an example, where cooperative lasing has permitted the operation of a fiber amplifier at 1.49 μm. Similarly, cooperative lasing has been applied to holmium [1] and erbium [2, 4] lasers.
Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ section was generated with AI based on the article content and has been reviewed by the article’s author (RP).
What problem is solved by cooperative lasing?
Cooperative lasing solves the problem of self-terminating laser transitions. This issue arises when the lower laser level has a long lifetime, leading to an accumulation of ions that reabsorb the laser light and stop the laser action.
How does cooperative lasing work?
It depopulates the problematic lower laser level by using an additional laser transition from that level to an even lower energy state. This requires a laser resonator designed to have low losses at both laser wavelengths.
Bibliography
| [1] | M. C. Brierley et al., “Lasing at 2.08μm and 1.38μm in a holmium doped fluoro-zirconate fibre laser”, Electron. Lett. 245 (9), 539 (1988); doi:10.1049/el:19880365 |
|---|---|
| [2] | M. Pollnau et al., “Three-transition cascade erbium laser at 1.7, 2.7, and 1.6 μm”, Opt. Lett. 22 (9), 612 (1997); doi:10.1364/OL.22.000612 |
| [3] | S. Tessarin et al., “Tm3+-doped ZBLAN fibre amplifier at 1.49 μm with co-operative lasing at 1.88 μm”, Electron. Lett. 41 (16), 23 (2005); doi:10.1049/el:20052015 |
| [4] | S. D. Jackson, “High-power erbium cascade fibre laser”, Electron. Lett. 45 (16), 830 (2009); doi:10.1049/el.2009.1526 |
(Suggest additional literature!)
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