Off-axis Gaussian beams for describing the radiation of lasers with a misaligned active resonator
Abstract
A method is proposed for calculating laser radiation parameters in a misaligned optical resonator with the aid of off-axis Gaussian beams. The method can be applied to any optical system whose elements make it possible to use Gaussian beams, and gas lasers belong to this kind of optical system. Expressions are obtained showing the relationship between the optical system parameters, disturbances of the state of its elements during misalignment, and the position of the radiation beam axis in an arbitrary cross-section of the system. The effects of a quadratic inhomogeneity of the active laser medium gain and of the Gaussian diaphragms on the cavity stability, affected by the misalignment, are investigated. The method is used to study a CO2 laser. It is shown that it is possible to investigate the effects of lens-like media with a nonhomogeneous gain and Gaussian diaphragms on misaligned optical system parameters. It is also shown that a formal approach to the calculation of the radiation beam parameters and its mechanization is possible.
- Publication:
-
Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii
- Pub Date:
- July 1981
- Bibcode:
- 1981ZhPS...35....9D
- Keywords:
-
- Carbon Dioxide Lasers;
- Cavity Resonators;
- Laser Outputs;
- Light Beams;
- Optical Resonators;
- Inhomogeneity;
- Laser Materials;
- Mirrors;
- Misalignment;
- Lasers and Masers