Spiking Systematics in Some CO2 Laser Models

Abstract The CO 2 laser is a complex dynamical system that has been investigated extensively both experimentally and through numerical simulations. As a result, a number of models exist for this laser, famed for providing satisfactory agreement between numerical and experimental observations. But the laser involves a large number of freely tunable control parameters whose impact on its performance and stability is not known in detail. The spontaneous emergence and organization of laser stability phases are also poorly understood. Here, we review recent progress in the classification of laser spiking, periodic or nonperiodic self-pulsations, predicted for CO 2 lasers with modulated parameters and with feedback, instantaneous or delayed. The unfolding of spiking is classified with the help of numerically obtained high-resolution stability charts for experimentally accessible control parameters. Such stability charts display novel regular and irregular features, suggesting that the laser control parameter planes harbor remarkable symmetries not yet accounted for theoretically but which are experimentally within reach. High-resolution stability charts put stringent tests on the reliability and accuracy of current models in forecasting laser dynamics.