Abstract

The modes of a ring-laser cavity with an extra mirror for unidirectional operation are analyzed and shown to be the same as those of a conventional ring laser. The beam from the extra mirror does not give rise to additional interferometric effects when it is reflected back into the ring cavity. Experimental results with a He–Ne unidirectional ring laser confirm this finding; operation is demonstrated in both a symmetric and an asymmetric distribution of mode amplitudes about the Doppler line center.

© 1980 Optical Society of America

Monolithic, unidirectional single-mode Nd:YAG ring laser

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