Theory of modal character, field structure, and losses for semiconductor lasers

The contemporary semiconductor laser oscillates and radiates power simultaneously in many of the characteristic modes of its cavity, perhaps only a few for the "stripe" laser neat threshold, but hundreds or thousands for power lasers. This article provides a comprehensive theory of the modal characteristics: field structure, polarization, characteristic frequency, radiation pattern, and losses. A new theory is developed for cavities with a nonuniform dielectric. The subject matter is indispensable to understanding or use of the new nonlinear theory of laser processes. Much of it is also relevant to dielectric, optical transmission systems in general