Lasing dynamics of super and sub luminal lasers

Area of Science:

• Theoretical physics
• Quantum optics
• Laser physics

Background:

• Superluminal and subluminal lasers exhibit distinct lasing properties.
• Understanding cavity lifetime and relaxation dynamics is crucial for laser applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To theoretically investigate the lasing properties and cavity lifetime of superluminal and subluminal lasers.
• To analyze the relaxation time of power perturbations in both types of lasers.
• To explore the implications for sensor sensitivity.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis of lasing properties.
• Utilized a finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) tool to study relaxation dynamics.
• Investigated the impact of lasing power, group velocity, and cavity dispersion.

Main Results:

• Superluminal lasing requires stringent conditions and may lead to bi-frequency lasing.
• Subluminal lasers are less demanding and well-described by single-frequency equations.
• Subluminal laser relaxation time scales with the group index, unlike superluminal lasers.

Conclusions:

• Subluminal lasers offer predictable relaxation dynamics, potentially leading to narrower linewidths with higher group indices.
• Superluminal lasers exhibit different relaxation behaviors, suggesting alternative sensor applications.
• The distinct properties of superluminal and subluminal lasers have significant implications for optical sensor design and sensitivity.