Talk:Output coupler

Is the sentence "For lasing to occur, the gain of the active medium mush be larger than the total loss, which includes ... the intentional release of energy through the output coupler" correct? It seems to me like the gain should exactly equal this energy loss; otherwise I think there would be a net buildup of energy inside the gain medium.

Mkm47 (talk) 23:05, 25 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It's exactly that net buildup that is required for stimulated emission to dominate over spontaneous. This article could use some expansion, because output couplers are not always partially reflective mirrors. One typical design that comes to mind is the cavity dumper, which typically consists of a Pockel's cell or an acousto-optic modulator mounted in the beam path, with a high-reflective mirror behind it. When the cavity builds up enough energy, the cavity dumper is triggered and the beam is emitted at a diffracted angle, bypassing the mirror. (Typically used for short-pulse extraction.) Other methods include a curved, high-reflector with a small hole in the center, or rotating mirror or prism Q-switches. I'll look into this some more when I get a chance. Zaereth (talk) 20:20, 10 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]