Transverse profile shaping of laser beams by means of aspherical mirror resonators

Shlomo Ruschin

doi:10.1117/12.143850

22 April 1993 Transverse profile shaping of laser beams by means of aspherical mirror resonators

Shlomo Ruschin

Proceedings Volume 1834, Laser Energy Distribution Profiles: Measurement and Applications; (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.143850
Event: Applications in Optical Science and Engineering, 1992, Boston, MA, United States

Abstract

Two main approaches exist in order to generate laser beams with transverse profiles which depart from the common Gaussian shape: The use of graded transmission resonator mirrors and the use of aspheric mirrors. Aspheric, fully reflecting mirrors have the advantage of better power and energy handling and availability of reflecting surfaces at wavelengths where transparent materials are inconvenient to handle and eventually nonexisting. A beam synthesis method was developed by means of which it can be proven that any prerequired beam profile can be supported by a resonator based on either variable transmission mirrors or aspheric mirrors, in the empty-cavity approximation. The cavity will not, however, necessarily support the pre-required mode as the lowest-loss mode, and the gain profile of the amplifying medium has to be taken into account. Examples are presented in which cavity design improves the efficiency of the laser by coupling between the mode profile to the gain profile of the medium. Additional applications of aspheric mirror resonators include the matching of free-space modes to waveguide modes and shaping of beams according to subsequent beam handling requirements like focusing to preferred spot shapes for materials processing.

Citation Download Citation

Shlomo Ruschin "Transverse profile shaping of laser beams by means of aspherical mirror resonators", Proc. SPIE 1834, Laser Energy Distribution Profiles: Measurement and Applications, (22 April 1993); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.143850

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