Galvanic chaos in a CO 2 laser discharge: A new look at an old phenomenon
Abstract
Low frequency instabilities have been observed on the output intensity of a CO 2 laser. They are shown to originate from galvanic processes which could have some connection with the phenomenon of striation waves in the electric discharge. These instabilities exhibit a period-doubling sequence and chaos. In most conditions, laser discharges show generalized bistability. When the modulation of the output power due to the instability reaches 100%, damped oscillations at the laser resonance frequency are superimposed on the low frequency modulation.
- Publication:
-
Optics Communications
- Pub Date:
- September 1987
- DOI:
- 10.1016/0030-4018(87)90331-2
- Bibcode:
- 1987OptCo..63..393B
- Keywords:
-
- Carbon Dioxide Lasers;
- Chaos;
- Electric Discharges;
- Laser Outputs;
- Laser Stability;
- Population Inversion;
- Electric Fields;
- Galvanomagnetic Effects;
- Laser Induced Fluorescence;
- Optical Bistability;
- Volt-Ampere Characteristics;
- Lasers and Masers