Experimental Developments in Single- and Multi-Mode Laser Instabilities

Pulsations have been observed since the earliest days of maser and laser systems. General classifications will be described which provide a framework for understanding previous experimental results and recent studies. A good set of references following this classification scheme can be found in the introduction to the recent special issue of the Journal of the Optical Society of America B in January 1985 on Instabilities in Active Optical Media1.