Behavior of Saturable-Absorber Giant-Pulse Lasers in the Limit of Large Absorber Cross Section

Using a rate-equation model, it is shown that the behavior of the saturable-absorber giant-pulse (SAGP) laser can be adequately described in terms of two parameters for values of the ratio of absorber to laser absorption cross section σ>200: n_ai' the normalized initial inversion and στ_s, where τ_s is the normalized absorber relaxation time. In the general case, specification of n_ai', σ, and τ_s is required. Theoretical curves of the giant-pulse output power, energy, and rise- and falltimes are presented. The results are applicable in particular to SAGP lasers employing organic-dye absorbers.