Recent developments in the theory of multimode random lasers

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent theoretical advances in multimode random lasers, focusing on biorthogonal quasimodes and their applications to understanding mode competition and lasing behavior in complex open systems.

Contribution

It introduces an extension of semiclassical multimode laser theory to open systems with overlapping resonances and inhomogeneous refractive indices, emphasizing biorthogonal quasimodes.

Findings

Biorthogonal quasimodes effectively describe field decay in open passive systems.

The theory explains mode competition in random lasing.

Applications include experimental and numerical insights into multimode random lasers.

Abstract

We review recent extensions of semiclassical multimode laser theory to open systems with overlapping resonances and inhomogeneous refractive index. An essential ingredient of the theory are biorthogonal quasimodes that describe field decay in an open passive system and are used as a basis for lasing modes. We discuss applications of the semiclassical theory, as well as other experimental and numerical results related to random lasing with mode competition.