Abstract

The nature and behavior of the eigenstates of a multimode argon-ion laser containing a variable linear loss anisotropy and submitted to a longitudinal magnetic field are theoretically and experimentally investigated. In particular it is shown that for a given value of the loss anisotropy a transition occurs for a given value of the longitudinal magnetic field. This defines the concept of a critical magnetic field for multimode lasers. For this value of the magnetic field the eigenstates of the multimode laser pass from linearly polarized eigenstates to circularly polarized eigenstates. The shapes of the output spectra for the different behaviors are discussed and observed, and the correlation between the nature of these eigenstates and the output power of the laser is investigated. The puzzling output power enhancement caused by the insertion of a Brewster window is interpreted.

© 1994 Optical Society of America

Polarization Characteristics of an Ionized-Gas Laser in a Magnetic Field*

Douglas C. Sinclair
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 56(12) 1727-1731 (1966)

Spatially resolved eigenstates for traveling and standing waves in ring lasers

Marc Vallet, Fabien Bretenaker, Nam Huu Tran, Pierre Tanguy, and Albert Le Floch
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 12(1) 146-154 (1995)

Goos–Hänchen effect in the dynamics of laser eigenstates

Laurent Dutriaux, Albert Le Floch, and Fabien Bretenaker
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 9(12) 2283-2289 (1992)

Stable single-mode operation of intracavity-doubled diode-pumped Nd:YVO₄ lasers: theoretical study

Sten Helmfrid and Kimio Tatsuno
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 11(3) 436-445 (1994)

Theory of the Faraday effect with weak laser pulses

Betsy M. Harvey and Frank C. Spano
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 11(7) 1177-1185 (1994)