Effects of a nonhomogeneous gain saturation law on predicted performance of a high-gain and a low-gain laser systems.

A modified Rigrod theory that uses a nonhomogeneous gain saturation law is used to model outcoupled, total, and intracavity power from a high-gain and a low-gain cw HF chemical laser with good accuracy. The homogeneous gain saturation law is found to have significant limitations when used to model total power data over a wide range of threshold gain values. The use of a nonhomogeneous gain saturation law indicates that a gain saturation law parameter of m = 1.2 models University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign supersonic cw HF fundamental laser data more accurately than a homogeneous gain saturation law (m = 1). A completely inhomogeneous saturation law (m = 2) models University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign supersonic HF overtone laser data more accurately than a completely homogeneous gain saturation law.