title: Intracavity gain gratings.
abstract: Intracavity gain gratings are theoretically demonstrated to exhibit diffraction efficiencies that are 100 times larger than unity at pump powers substantially below the lasing threshold. Experiments performed using a Nd:YVO4 microlaser pumped below threshold by two interfering Ti:sapphire laser beams are described. Huge enhancement of the diffraction efficiency (5000X) and a large increase of the angular selectivity (10X) are demonstrated despite the angular reduction of the Fabry-Perot cavity finesse. Much better results are expected using gain gratings with larger areas or thinner cavities such as vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers. Such large fan-out values could be very interesting for applications to optical signal processing.
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreau
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zaquine
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maruani
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Frey