A quasi separable dissipative Maxwell-Bloch system for laser dynamics (Q2274321)

The basic mathematical equations of conventional optics exhibit a linear feature. Based on the assumption that the electric polarization vector is linear proportional to the electric field strength, Maxwell's equation lead to a system of linear partial differential equations. But, based on the interaction of laser radiation as an intense coherent light with matter new optical phenomena have been discovered. The right-hand side of the electric polarization vector has to be replaced by a power series in the electric field strength with first-order, second-order susceptibilities and so on, resulting in nonlinear Maxwell equations. Generally, the light-matter interactions are described by the Maxwell-Bloch equations and are the subject of nonlinear optics. The first author and the third author [Differ. Integral Equ. 30, No. 7--8, 631--640 (2017; Zbl 1438.70010)] introduced a nonvariational Lagrangian setting for the Maxwell-Bloch equations in the dissipative limit based on a formulation in the paper of \textit{F. T. Arecchi} and \textit{R. Bonifacio} [``Theory of optical maser amplifiers'', IEEE. J. Quantum Electron. 1, No. 4, 169--178 (1965; \url{doi: 10.1109/JQE.1965.1072212 })]. Two parameters, the so-called ``cavity mistuning'' and the ``detuning of the electric field frequency from the center of the atomic line'', can be set to zero in this approach, which allows a certain separation of variables resulting in a second-order nonautonomous differential equation with simple asymptotic behavior. Compared to usual phenomenological models the authors' approach more finely represents the dynamical features of the field and polarization variables in the vicinity of the asymptotic solutions. Furthermore, the lowest excitation level at which the output of a laser is dominated by stimulated rather than by spontaneous emission (the so-called laser threshold effect) and the relaxation oscillations are recovered by the approach.