Comparison of numerical simulation of a polarization-maintaining figure-eight laser with experiment

Summary form only given. The figure-eight laser (F8L) is intensively discussed in view of experimental and theoretical aspects, but up to now no direct comparison of numerical and experimental results was made, which would be interesting for an optimized design of this laser structure. Here we present such a direct comparison of numerical with experimental investigations of a polarization stabilised F8L. The numerical simulation of this laser structure is based on the scalar nonlinear Schrodinger equation (NLSE) which is solved by the split-step Fourier method (SSFM). The comparison with results of measured pulses shows high agreement.