Title :
Transverse optical mode patterns for an RF excited Ar-He-Xe laser
Author :
Blok, Frans J. ; Elkin, Nikolay N. ; Kochetov, Igor V. ; Napartovich, Anatoly P. ; Pters, P.J.M. ; Starostin, Sergei A. ; Troshchieva, Vera N. ; Udalov, Yuri B. ; Witteman, W.J.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Appl. Phys., Twente Univ., Enschede, Netherlands
fDate :
12/1/1999 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
Transverse optical modes for an RF excited Ar-He-Xe laser are studied both experimentally and theoretically. A diffraction model for a waveguide with a nonsaturable gain and refractive index gradients placed between two plane mirrors is formulated. The effects of gain and diffraction index gradients and of diffraction in free space are evaluated for typical experimental conditions. A direct comparison between theoretical mode patterns and experimentally measured ones at distances of 17 and 114 cm from the output mirror demonstrated a satisfactory agreement for various laser wavelengths and gas mixture compositions
Keywords :
argon; gas lasers; helium; laser mirrors; laser modes; light diffraction; xenon; 114 cm; 17 cm; Ar-He-Xe; Ar-He-Xe laser; RF excited; diffraction index grad; diffraction model; free space diffraction; gas mixture compositions; inert gas lasers; laser wavelengths; nonsaturable gain; output mirror; plane mirrors; refractive index gradients; theoretical mode patterns; transverse optical mode patterns; Laser excitation; Laser modes; Laser theory; Mirrors; Optical diffraction; Optical refraction; Optical variables control; Optical waveguides; Radio frequency; Waveguide lasers;
Journal_Title :
Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
