title: Gain saturation in cw 12-microm NH3 Raman lasers.
abstract: An oscillator-amplifier technique is used to study gain saturation in cw 12.08-microm waveguide NH 3 lasers. Population transfer in the NH3 ground state, rather than pump depletion, is shown to be the dominant mechanism for reduction of the Raman gain in this laser system. A model based on the density matrix formalism accounts for the main features of the experimental results and allows an effective rate to be determined for rotational relaxation in the ground state of NH3.
authors.affiliation: McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4M1.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rolland
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Garside
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reid