14/06/2015

Lasers and their Applications

Propagation of Gaussian Beams

& Optical Resonators

412 PHYS

Lecure-4
Department of Physics
Faculty of Science
Jazan University
KSA
1 6/14/2015

Propagation of laser beams cab be described by the Helmholtz equation

( 2  k  2 )U ( x, y, z )  0 U ( x, y, z )   ( x, y, z )e ik  z

one of the possible solutions to this equation is given by

k ( x2  y2 )
 ( x, y, z , )   0 exp i{ p ( z )  }
2 q( z )

0 Constant depends on the beam amplitude and can be determined by

boundary conditions

1
 14/06/2015

p(z ) Complex function given as p( z )  i ln(1  z / qo )

q( z ) complex beam parameter, given as

i w02
q ( z )  z  iz0  z  q0  z 


z0 Rayleigh range at which he beam waist is given by w( z )  2 w0

w0 Is the minimum beam waist

For a spherical wave

1 1 z z0 1 
  2  i   i
q z  iz0 z  z02 z 2  z02 R ( z )  n w 2 ( z )

The real part represents the wavefront curvature, with a radius given
by
R ( z )  z[1  ( z / z0 ) 2 ]
 (z ) Beam waist radius, given by w( z )  w0 [1  ( z / z0 ) 2 ]1/2

w0 Is the minimum beam waist radius, given in terms of the beam

divergence as
 z  log(2)   
1/ 2

w0   0    
   2   tan( / 2) 

2
 14/06/2015

Laser resonators
 The feedback in lasers is achieved by placing the amplifier (active medium)
between mirrors, a construction we call an optical cavity or resonator.

The resonator is the space of optical amplifier that contains the feedback elements

The resonator
When the population inversion occurs in the active medium, the spontaneous
emission produces a photon that propagates along the optical axis of the
active medium and the resonator

The photons interacts with the excited atoms and the stimulated emission will
occur and hence a wave with amplified amplitude will propagate through the
medium towards one of the mirrors

Upon reflection from the mirror, the wave will be further amplified by passing
through the medium due to the resonance with the excited atoms (because
they both have same energy )

Eventually the wave will be oscillated between mirrors and get amplified in
every pass and loss some photons in the output mirror as the output beam

3
 14/06/2015

Laser resonator stability

• The cavity is an essential part of a laser. It provides the
positive feedback that turns an amplifier into an oscillator.
• The design of the cavity is therefore very important for
the optimal operation of the laser.

The Condition for resonator stability

0   1  L   1  L   1
 r1   r2 

r2، r1 Radii of mirror’s

curvatures

L Length of the
resonator

Types of resonators

Plane parallel resonator

Confocal resonator

Hemispherical resonator
Large radius resonator

Concentric resonator

4
 14/06/2015

Example:
Determine whether or not the following mirror arrangements lead to stability:
a. Two mirrors with radii of curvature of 1.8 m, separated by a distance of 2 m
b. One mirror with radius of curvature of 2m and the other with radius of 3m,
separated by a distance of 2.3m
c. One mirror with radius of curvature of 5m and the other with radius of 3m,
separated by a distance of 4m
d. Two mirrors with radius of curvature of 0.5 m, separated by a distance of 0.5m

Sol.
a. r1=r2=1.8m, L=2m

0  (1  L / r1 )(1  L / r2 )  1

 (1  L / r1 )(1  L / r2 )  (1  2 /1.8) 2  (1  1.11) 2  0.121 Cavity is stable

b. r1=2 m, r2=3m, L=2.3m

0  (1  L / r1 )(1  L / r2 )  1
Cavity is unstable
(1  2.3 / 2)(1  2.3 / 3)  (0.15)(0.25)  0.0345

c. r1=5 m, r2=3m, L=4m

(1  4 / 5)(1  4 / 3)  (0.2)(0.33)  0.067 Cavity is unstable

d. r1=0.5 m, r2=0.5m, L=0.5m

(1  0.5 / 0.5)(1  0.5 / 0.5)  0 Cavity is on edge of stability

---confocal cavity

5
 14/06/2015

Laser modes
•The cavity determines the properties of the beam of light that is emitted
by the laser.
• This beam is characterized by its transverse and longitudinal mode
structure.

Transverse modes are created in cross section of the beam,

perpendicular to the optical axis of the laser.

Longitudinal modes only specific frequencies are possible inside

the optical cavity of a laser, according to standing wave condition.

Transverse mode structure

A transverse mode is a field configuration on the surface of one reflector that propagates
to the other reflector and back, returning in the same pattern,
apart from a complex amplitude factor (that gives the total phase shift and loss of the
round trip.

6
 14/06/2015

Separating the fundamental Gaussian mode

Lasers operating with the fundamental Gaussian mode TEM00 are preferred due to
the following reasons:
1. TEM00 has a symmetrical, uniform circular configuration with the greatest
intensity at its center: this suits many applications that requires high
accuracy
2. Contains about 85% of the total output intensity
3. Can be easily separated from higher order modes by using a pin hole
aperture with a diameter that allow only photons propagated along the
optical axis to be incident on mirrors

It is preferred to get the laser operated in the fundamental mode TEM00

The intensity of the Gaussian mode is given by

I  r   I 0 exp(2w 2
/ w 02 )

w 0 Radius of Gaussian beam (the radius at which

the intensity reduced by 1 / e2

The total power P   w2 I / 2

Divergence div  2 /  w0

7
 14/06/2015

Example 1:

A He-Ne Laser with a Gaussian fundamental mode TEM00 operates with a

wavelength of 632.8 nm . A lens is used to collimate the beam to pass through a
glass plate of a thickness of 12 mm and a refractive index of 1.46. suppose the
plate is place at the focal point of the lens where the beam diameter is 2m
Calculate the beam diameter at the other end of the plate?
Sol.
d 2 m
We have z  12 mm  0.012 m ,   632.8nm , d  2w 0  w 0    1 m
2 2
1.46    10 6 
2
n w 02
z0    7.25  10 6 m
1  632.8  10 9
  z 2  2

w  z   w 0 1    
1
  0.012  2  2
  z 0    w  z   10 1  6
6  
 1.66  10 3 m
  7.25  10  
beam dimeter  2 w ( z )  3.32 10 3 m

Example 2:
A fundamental Gaussian beam from a Ti:Sapphire laser with a wavelength of 759nm
and a power of 1mW incident on a target far from the minimum waist point by
100m. If the radius of the minimum waist is 2mm, find the beam waist at the
target?
Calculate the radius of wavefront curvature and peak intensity of the beam

Sol.

Waist radius at the target

1/2
  z 2   w 02 (2 103 ) 2
w (z )  w 0 1     , z 0 (Rayleigh range )   3.14   16.55
  z 0    759 109
1/ 2
  100  2 
3
 w( z )  2  10 1      12 mm
  16.55  

8
 14/06/2015

Usually the spot size is represented by the beam waist and the area of the laser
spot (if it is circular) is give by
A  w (z )  3.14 12 10  0.0314 m
2 3 2

The radius of wavefront curvature is

  16.55  2 
R ( z )  z[1  ( z0 / z ) 2 ]  100 1      102.74 m
  100  

peak intensity
P P 1 10 3
Ip     4.4  103W / m 2
A   w ( z ) / 2 3.14  (12 10 ) / 2
2 3 2

Note: {A   w (z ) / 2} is the effective area

2

LONGITUDINAL MODES
The longitudinal modes determine the emission spectrum of the laser.
The light bouncing repeatedly off the end mirrors sets up standing waves inside the
cavity.

More general

where n is the average refractive index of the cavity.

The last Equation implies that only certain frequencies which satisfy will oscillate

9
 14/06/2015

Plane-mirror resonators
• This type of cavity consists of two flat, parallel mirrors separated by a distance L . It is also called
a Fabry-Perot resonator (F-P).
• In this type of cavity, the beam fills the space between the mirrors nearly uniformly, unlike in the
spherical mirror cavities where the beam is focused somewhere inside (or outside of) the cavity.

The finesse coefficient of the Fabry-Perot cavity Is given as

 R 1/ 4 R 1/ 4
fc  1 2

1  R 11/ 2 R 21/ 2
If the two mirrors have similar reflectivities R1=R2 then
 R
fc 
1 R
The finesse coefficient has great importance for determining the fluorescence
line shape 
 Frequency spacing between modes
fc   /   Laser fluorescence line width

Derivation of the number of Longitudinal modes

Phase displacement for one round trip oscillation 2kL  m (2 )

2 n L 4 L
2kL    m (2 )
C 
Note, that the condition of standing wave is m
L
2
Frequency of the mode of order m m  m
c
2n L

Frequency spacing between modes

or Free Spectral Range c
 m 1   m 
2n L

10
 14/06/2015

or   
c 2
  2n L
2n L

The number of operating

longitudinal modes is given by


m
(c / 2 n L )

The quality factor of Fabry-Perot

resonator is
0
Q


Example 3:

Calculate the width of the frequency mode for a Fabry-Perot resonator

consists of two similar plane mirrors separated by a distance of 1 cm
Assume the reflectivities 70% 99.9% 95%
Calculate the finesse factor for the wavelength of 800 nm from a GaAs laser
And find also the value of the resonator quality factor for each case?

Sol. c 3  108
    1.5  1010 Hz
2n L 2  1 0.01

c 3 108
    3.75  1014 Hz
 800 109
For R1  0.9999
 0.9999  1.5 1010
fc   3.141104      4.78 105 Hz
1  0.9999 fc 3.14 10 4

11
 14/06/2015

Resonator quality
0 3.75 1014
Q   7.85 108
 3.78 105

For R2  0.95
 0.95  1.5 1010
fc   61.2      2.45 108 Hz
1  0.95 fc 61.2

0 3.75 1014
Q   1.53 106
 2.45 108

For R3  0.75

 0.75  1.5 1010

fc   10.87      1.38  109 Hz
1  0.75 fc 10.87
 3.75  10 14
Q   2.72  105
 1.38 109

Example 4:
For a He-Ne laser with a wavelength of 632.8 nm, if the length of the
resonator is 30 cm, find:
a. Frequency difference between longitudinal modes (mode spacing
b. Number of modes
c. Frequency of the laser light
Sol.
a. Mode spacing c 3 108
    0.5 GHz
2 L 2  0.3

b. Number of modes 2L 2L 2  0.3

m  m    0.948 106
m  0.6328 106
c. Frequency of the laser
  m    0.948 106  0.5 109  4.74 1014 Hz
or c 3 108
   4.74 1014 Hz
 0.6328 106

12
 14/06/2015

Laser operation in single longitudinal mode

There are many methods that can be used to force the laser oscillation in
single longitudinal mode

1. Reducing laser cavity length to make the mode

spacing large and hence allow only one mode to c
operate
 
2n L

2. Reduce pumping power and hence allow the

amplification only for the central mode

Note: 1) and 2) allow only low powers to be obtained (of no practical use)

3. Using Etalon

Generate additional losses for the extra modes by

placing frequency selective optical elements in the
laser resonator
The lasing mode gets some of the gain of the killed
modes higher power/mode

4. Using Prism to select

one longitudinal mode

5. Using grating to select

one longitudinal mode

13
 14/06/2015

Example 5: An ion Argon laser with a wavelength of 514.5 nm with a spectral

bandwidth of 2GHz and a cavity length of 50 cm. find the number of possible
longitudinal modes?

Sol.  2 109 Refractive index of

m   6 mod es
c / 2L 3 108 / (2  50 10 2 ) argon gas =1

Example 6: If a spectral filter with a bandwidth of 0.1 nm is used to obtain a single

longitudinal mode from a He-Ne laser, what should be the length of the laser cavity?
Sol. The fluorescence frequency bandwidth is given by
c 3 108
    (0.1109 )  7.5 1010 Hz
2 9 2
(632.8 10 )

For a single mode oscillation, c 3  108

we should have   L  L  0.002 m
2L 2  7.5 1010

14