Intracavity mode competition between classes of flat-top beams

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dc.contributor.authorLitvin I.
dc.contributor.authorLoveday P.W.
dc.contributor.authorLong C.S.
dc.contributor.authorKazak N.S.
dc.contributor.authorBelyi V.
dc.contributor.authorForbes A.
dc.date.accessioned2011-05-15T16:00:21Z
dc.date.available2011-05-15T16:00:21Z
dc.date.issued2008
dc.description.abstractThere are many applications in which a laser beam with a flat-top intensity profile would be ideal, as compared to a laser beam with a non-uniform energy distribution. Standard stable optical resonators will unfortunately not generate such a laser beam as the oscillating mode. Single-mode oscillation would typically be Gaussian in profile, while multimode oscillation might deliver a beam with an averaged flat-like profile in the near field, but would diverge very quickly due to the higher order modes, in addition, if the modes are coherently coupled, then large intensity oscillations could be expected across the beam. Techniques exist to generate flat-top beams external to the cavity, but this is usually at the expense of energy, and almost always requires very precise input beam parameters. In this paper we present the design of an optical resonator that produces as the stable transverse mode a flat-top laser beam, by making use of an intra-cavity diffractive mirror. We consider the modal build-up in such a resonator and compare the mode competition between flat-top like beams, including Flattened Gaussian beams, Fermi-Dirac beams, and super-Gaussian beams. Finally, we remark on the use of an intra-cavity piezoelectric unimorph mirror for selecting a particular class of flat-top beam as the fundamental mode of the resonator.
dc.description.versionConference Paper
dc.identifier.citationProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
dc.identifier.citation7062
dc.identifier.issn0277786X
dc.identifier.other10.1117/12.793686
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/11660
dc.subjectAcoustooptical effects
dc.subjectCompetition
dc.subjectGaussian noise (electronic)
dc.subjectIon beams
dc.subjectLaser beams
dc.subjectLaser resonators
dc.subjectMirrors
dc.subjectOptical resonators
dc.subjectPiezoelectric transducers
dc.subjectPiezoelectricity
dc.subjectTrellis codes
dc.subjectBeam parameters
dc.subjectDiffractive mirrors
dc.subjectEnergy distributions
dc.subjectFermi-Dirac
dc.subjectFlat tops
dc.subjectFlat-top beams
dc.subjectFundamental modes
dc.subjectGaussian
dc.subjectHigher-order modes
dc.subjectIntensity oscillations
dc.subjectIntensity profiles
dc.subjectIntra cavities
dc.subjectMode competitions
dc.subjectMulti-mode oscillations
dc.subjectNear fields
dc.subjectNon-uniform
dc.subjectOscillating modes
dc.subjectPiezoelectric unimorph mirror
dc.subjectResonator modes
dc.subjectSingle-mode oscillations
dc.subjectSuper-Gaussian
dc.subjectTransverse modes
dc.subjectGaussian beams
dc.titleIntracavity mode competition between classes of flat-top beams
dc.typeConference Paper
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