Laser Amplifier Gain Calculator
Calculate small-signal gain, CW saturated gain, and pulsed energy extraction for laser amplifiers.
Laser amplifier performance is governed by three distinct regimes depending on input power relative to the saturation threshold. This calculator covers all three. Small-Signal Gain mode computes the unsaturated single-pass gain G₀ = exp(σ_em × ΔN × L) from the stimulated emission cross-section σ_em (cm²), population inversion density ΔN (cm⁻³), and gain medium length L, reporting gain coefficient and gain in both linear and dB. CW Saturation mode takes the small-signal gain, input power, and saturation power in dBm to compute compressed gain, output power, and gain compression, flagging deep-saturation operation. Frantz-Nodvik mode calculates pulsed energy extraction using the exact Frantz-Nodvik equation, returning output fluence and extraction efficiency relative to the stored energy. Use this tool when designing fiber, solid-state, or diode amplifier stages.