Statistical mechanics models for multimode lasers and random lasers

Abstract

We review recent statistical mechanical approaches to multimode laser theory. The theory has proved very effective to describe standard lasers. We refer of the mean field theory for passive mode locking and developments based on Monte Carlo simulations and cavity method to study the role of the frequency matching condition. The status for a complete theory of multimode lasing in open and disordered cavities is discussed and the derivation of the general statistical models in this framework is presented. When light is propagating in a disordered medium, the system can be analyzed via the replica method. For high degrees of disorder and nonlinearity, a glassy behavior is expected at the lasing threshold, providing a suggestive link between glasses and photonics. We describe in details the results for the general Hamiltonian model in mean field approximation and mention an available test for replica symmetry breaking from intensity spectra measurements. Finally, we summary some perspectives still opened for such approaches.

16 pages, 7 figures

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Cited by in corpus (12)

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• Mechanisms of Spatiotemporal Mode-Locking
• Turbulence Hierarchy in a Random Fibre Laser
• Photonic ferromagnetic-like spontaneous mode-locking phase transition with replica symmetry breaking in multimode Nd:YAG laser
• Lévy flights for light in ordered lasers
• Glassiness and Lack of Equipartition in Random Lasers: the common roots of Ergodicity Breaking in Disordered and Non-linear Systems
• Observation of Replica Symmetry Breaking in Standard Mode-Locked Fiber Laser
• Regularization and decimation pseudolikelihood approaches to statistical inference in $XY$-spin models
• Universality class of the mode-locked glassy random laser
• Multi-body quenched disordered $XY$ and $p$-clock models on random graphs
• Improved Pseudolikelihood Regularization and Decimation methods on Non-linearly Interacting Systems with Continuous Variables
• Intensity pseudo-localized phase in the glassy random laser