EMT 294

PRINCIPLES OF OPTICS
 Basic structure of laser

• A laser consists of an optical cavity with length d and two

mirrors at both ends. In this case, mirror M1 is fully reflecting
and mirror M2 is partially reflecting.
• The axial beam builds as it bounces back and forth across the
active medium (material for lasing) in between both mirrors.
• This accounts for the collimation of the laser beam and
converts the system into a light generator.
 Laser traverse modes
• Across the cross sectional area of the emerging laser beam,
the transverse mode of a laser beam are described by
TEMmn (Transverse electric magnetic) where m and n
subscripts are the integer number of transverse nodal lines
in the x and directions.
 Gaussian beam – TEM00
• Electric field has a Gaussian • Most widely used because
profile. The strength of the
beam-like wave falls off
transversely following a
bell-shaped curve that’s
symmetrical around the
central axis.
• flux density is ideally
Gaussian over the beam’s
cross section.
• no phase shifts in the
electric field across the
beam  completely
coherent.
• beam angular divergence
is the smallest and can be
focused down to the
smallest sized spot.
 Characteristic of Gaussian beam
• Figure shows a Gaussian spherical beam propagating in the z
direction. Note the changes in traverse irradiance as the beam
propagates to the right.

• The amplitude of electric field along z-axis is given by

 w0 
E   , z   E0  
 exp   2 w2  z  
 w z  
• where ρ is the distance from the center of the beam and w(z) is
the radius (defining the spot size) at which the electric field of
the beam drops from its maximum axial value of E0 (w0/w(z))to
E0(w0/w(z))/e or 37%E0(w0/w(z)).
 Characteristic of Gaussian beam cont …
• The Gaussian beam irradiance, which depends on the square
of electric field amplitude, along the z-axis is given by
2
 w0 
I   , z   I 0  
 exp  2  2 w2  z  
 w z  
• At ρ = w(z), I = I0(w0/w(z))2exp-2, which is only 14% I0.
 Characteristic of Gaussian beam cont …
 • The spot size w(z), along the z-axis is given by
 z 
2 Note that when z = 0, w(0) = w0,
w z   w0 1  2  which the location of the beam waist.
 w 
 0
• A practical measure of the divergence of the beam is the distance
over which its cross-sectional area doubles, or equivalently, the
value of z for which w(z) = w0. This distance z0 is known as the
Rayleigh range. Following the equation above
2
 z0  zR
 w0 1   2 
2 w02
 w 
 0
Rearranging the Eqn yields
w02
z0 

 Characteristic of Gaussian beam cont …
• When z >> z0, the spot size can be simplified to
2 2
 z   z  w0 z z
w z   w0 1    w0 1     
 w2  w0
 0  z0  z0

• The far field divergence angle, FF, is given by

w z  z0  
 FF  tan  FF  
z w0

• The full-angular-width of
the beam, Ѳ (in rad), is
  2 FF  2 w z  z ,
2 
  0.637
w0 w0
 Characteristic of Gaussian beam cont …
• Similarly, if the
wavefront radius of
curvature R(z1) at
mirror M1 is equal to
RM1, the left going
• Consider a wavefront moving beam will reflect from
towards mirror M2. mirror M1 without
distortion and retrace
• When it reaches M2, if its wavefront its path to mirror M2.
radius of curvature R(z2) matches
the radius of curvature RM2 of
mirror M2, the wave will reflect
back on itself, precisely retracing
its path and shape through the beam
Characteristics of Gaussian beam cont …
• The constraints placed upon
the Gaussian beam by the
cavity are, therefore,
 
R z1   z1 1  z02 z12  RM 1
 
R z 2   z 2 1  z02 z22  RM 2
and
z 2  z1  d

Note: RM1 < 0 and

RM2 < 0.