Polarization properties of a single-mode gas laser in transverse magnetic fields

Lenstra, D.

doi:10.1007/bf00886954

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Although a comparison of these results with a set of experiments, viz. [13,22,42,43], seems at first sight to give qualitative agreement, a more detailed examination of the theoretical and the experimental results, especially in the transverse magnetic-field cases, brings several discrepancies to light [44,45].…”

Section: Short Review Of Literaturementioning

confidence: 96%

On the theory of polarization effects in gas lasers

Lenstra

1980

Physics Reports

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Starting from a theory in which laser operation is described as the excitation of the natural-modes of an open-resonator system, the case of a Fabry-Perot resonator with plane-parallel mirrors is investigated. It is shown that, in the case of weakly anisotropic mirrors, the natural-modes can be grouped in pairs, such that each pair corresponds to one scalar longitudinal mode. In that case, laser operation can and will be described in terms of these longitudinal modes, which then possess a vectorial field amplitude, in agreement with the usual formalism.The polarization preference in a single-mode gas laser, operating on a transition between a singlet and a triplet state is investigated, taking into account different relaxation constants for the density matrix. A calculation of the effect on the relaxation constants due to interatomic collisions leads to the conclusion that theory and experiment are in good agreement with each other.Equations describing the time evolution of the polarization parameters of both modes in a two-mode operating gas laser are derived. It is found as a general rule that mode-mode interaction results in modes whose polarizations are mutually orthogonal.An exception to this rule is found in the case in which the single-mode preference is for circular polarization. The influence of two specific mirror anisotropies is discussed.The polarizing behaviour of a single-mode gas laser in the presence of (partly) applied, transverse magnetic fields is extensively dealt with. It appears to be essential to distinguish between the case in which the magnetic field is applied only to a fraction of the active medium and the case in which the magnetic field is uniform in the entire medium. This distinction is shown to lead to a satisfactory theoretical description of a certain class of experiments. In the case of two other experiments, good agreement with the theory is obtained, by assuming the presence of mirror anisotropies of acceptable kind and size. Finally, the influence of small anisotropies on the degree of polarization of a single-mode gas laser is theoretically investigated, when the latter is polarized by means of a transverse magnetic field. CONTENTS

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