Homogeneously broadened CW lasers with uniform distributed loss

The exact equations relating the CW output power to the parameters of a homogeneously broadened laser with distributed loss and its cavity are analytically intractable. In their place, simple approximate expressions are derived which permit convenient evaluation of the laser parameters from output power measurements in cavities with variable coupling, and conversely, of the maximum available oscillator power from small-signal gain and absorption-loss measurements. The approximate solutions have negligible error for lossy standing-wave lasers and are but slightly less accurate for lossy traveling-wave ring lasers.