Multistability and hysteresis phenomena in passive mode-locked lasers

Abstract

We present the analysis of laser passive mode-locking described by complex Ginzburg-Landau equation with a saturable gain and with a nonlinearity of losses decreasing as radiation intensity increases. The hysteresis dependence of the number of pulses in steady state on pump power has been found. The laser operation therewith is multistable: the number of pulses in the established regime depends on the initial state.