A Canonical Formulation for Analysing Multi-Element Unstable Resonators.
Abstract
A simple but general formulation is developed for the unified analysis of many different varieties of unstable optical resonators. The analysis is carried out by expressing the Huygens integral equation for the resonator in terms of the round-trip ray matrix. Complex multi-element unstable resonators, unstable ring resonators, and unstable resonators with variable-reflectivity output mirrors can all be reduced to a single equivalent collimated-beam diffraction problem (stable resonators and lens systems can be similarly analysed). The essential assumptions in the analysis are that all elements in the resonator obey paraxial ray theory and that there is only one significant output coupler or limiting aperture per round-trip inside the resonator. The only parameters needed to describe an arbitrary unstable resonator in this formulation are the round-trip magnification M, the equivalent Fresnel number N sub eq or else an equivalent collimated Fresnel number N sub c = (2 sq M/(sq M - 1)) N sub eq, and for variable-reflectivity mirrors a specification of the mirror reflectivity profile. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1975
- Accession Number
- ADA021095
Entities
People
- A. E. Siegman
Organizations
- Stanford University