[en] We compare two different theoretical models for a CO₂ laser, namely the two-and four-level model, and show that the second one traces with much better accuracy the experimental behavior in the case of a chaotic dynamics due to time modulation of the cavity losses. Even though the two-level model provides a qualitative explanation of the chaotic dynamics, only the four-level one assures a quantitative fitting. We also show that, at the onset of chaos, the chaotic dynamics is low dimensional and can be described in terms of a noninvertible unidimensional map. (author). 12 refs, 8 figs, 2 tabs