Abstract

By incorporating the radial dependence of the field, we explore the dynamical behavior of a passive optical system consisting of two focusing lenses, optically thin passive medium, and two partially transmitting mirrors, where one mirror functions as the entrance port for the external signal, and the second functions as the output coupler. The medium and the free-space diffraction are described by the Maxwell-Bloch equations and Kirchhoff's diffraction integral, respectively. A comparison between confocal resonators and nonconfocal resonators is made, and polarization effects are isolated.

© 1990 Optical Society of America