Abstract

Experimental evidence is given showing that light tangent to an optically clear polished cylinder can refract into the cylinder and be trapped within the, whispering mode. This trapped light then spirals internally at very small angles to the radius and is difficult to observe from the outside. When a step is machined on one end of the rod this light then becomes visible. It can be demonstrated that both clockwise and counterclockwise modes can exist in such a system. The implications of such an effect in the pumping of polished cylindrical lasers is discussed.

© 1965 Optical Society of America

Effect of Trapped Light on the Output of a Ruby Laser

J. Linn and J. Free
Appl. Opt. 4(9) 1099-1101 (1965)

Optical Properties and Laser Thresholds of Thirty-nine Ruby Laser Crystals

G. W. Dueker, C. M. Kellington, M. Katzmann, and J. G. Atwood
Appl. Opt. 4(1) 109-118 (1965)

Beam Characteristics of Ruby Optical Masers

T. S. Jaseja, M. K. Dheer, and D. Madhavan
Appl. Opt. 4(12) 1643-1647 (1965)

Evaluation of Specially Grown Ruby Laser Rods

E. W. Sucov
Appl. Opt. 4(9) 1107-1112 (1965)

Ē-Level Population of Ruby vs Pumping

V. Daneu, C. A. Sacchi, and O. Svelto
Appl. Opt. 4(7) 863-866 (1965)