Laser Resonators and the Beam Divergence Problem

FOREWORD BY A.E. SIEGMAN INTRODUCTION Briefly on the history and essence of the problem THE LAWS OF LIGHT-BEAM PROPAGATION Fundamentals of the theory of multielement optical systems Laws of propagation for major types of light beams Angular divergence of radiation IDEAL RESONATORS General information on open resonators Classification of open optical resonators and the condition of their equivalence Stable resonators Plane resonators Unstable resonator BASIC CONCEPTS CONCERNING THE PROPERTIES OF REAL RESONATORS AND THE PROCESSES OCCURRING IN THEM Some experimental data and their discussion Principal kinds of perturbations and parasitic effects Large-scale aberrations and light scattering Mode competition in the onset of lasing and in steady-state operation Pump energy conversion efficiency in laser resonators RESONATOR APPLICATIONS AND SPECIAL CONFIGURATIONS Basic resonator types Methods of the angular selection of radiation Resonators of lasers with controlled spectral and temporal characteristics Specific resonator configurations THE SIMPLEST CAUSES OF ABERRATIONS AND METHODS OF WAVEFRONT CORRECTION Thermal deformations of resonators Optico-mechanical and holographic methods of wavefront correction-stimulated scattering-based lasers Wavefront conjugation APPENDIX REFERENCES INDEX