Pump-probe switching in gain-switched lasers

We report a novel pump-probe switching phenomenon exhib-ited by gain-switched vibronic lasers under dual pulse excitation. A spatio-temporal rate equation model reveals the mechanismresponsible, and predicts observations of pump-probe switching in a Cr:forsterite laser under pulsed 1064nm excitation. The sensitivity of this energy storage-extraction process to the pump and probe fluences and their temporal separation is investigated for switching in the nanosecond and microsecond excitation regimes.