Observation of a subcritical Hopf bifurcation in a laser with an injected signal

Abstract

Experimental evidence for a subcritical Hopf bifurcation in a NMR laser device is presented and compared with a two-dimensional model of a laser with a phase-locked injection signal. Computer results from numerical integration of the Bloch-Kirchoff-type laser equation are discussed. The use of the Hopf bifurcation for the experimental determination of laser parameters is described.