We report a detailed and systematic numerical study of wave propagation
through a coherently amplifying random one-dimensional medium. The coherent
amplification is modeled by introducing a uniform imaginary part in the site
energies of the disordered single-band tight binding Hamiltonian. Several
distinct length scales (regimes), most of them new, are identified from the
behavior of transmittance and reflectance as a function of the material
parameters. We show that the transmittance is a non-self-averaging quantity
with a well defined mean value. The stationary distribution of the super
reflection differs qualitatively from the analytical results obtained within
the random phase approximation in strong disorder and amplification regime. The
study of the stationary distribution of the phase of the reflected wave reveals
the reason for this discrepancy. The applicability of random phase
approximation is discussed. We emphasize the dual role played by the lasing
medium, as an amplifier as well as a reflector.Comment: 33 pages RevTex, 14 EPS figures included, Accepted for publication in
IJMP-