A theoretical study of saturation effects in three-level laser systems

Exact numerical solution of a time-space (one dimensional) three-level lasing system (homogeneously broadened) is used to study the relevance of steady-state models to such a system. This study revealed: 1) the existence of two disconnected (quasi) steady-state regions-the small-signal gain region (slow pumping rate) and the high saturation region (large pumping rate), and 2) the spatially averaged equations for the high saturation region have a form similar to those usually employed in the small-signal gain region, except that a constant which in the latter case is unity becomes smaller than 1 in the high saturation region.