Formation of fields in resonators with a composite mirror consisting of inverting elements

Petal-like modes in Porro prism resonators

“…Even the physical optics models fail to account for the true field pattern found from such resonators [3,8]. In [3] for example, the kernel of the Fresnel-Kirchoff diffraction integral contains only the optical path length experienced by the beam, thus treating the prism as though it were a perfect mirror, with an identical ABCD matrix representation albeit incorporating the inverting properties of the prisms.…”

“…This approach appears to be the preferred model for prisms [7], even though it does not explain the complex transverse field patterns found in Porro prism resonators. This is a recurring problem in the literature, with only a hint at a solution offered in [8] and [9], where it was proposed to treat the field patterns as a result of diffractive coupling between a linear combination of sub-resonators. Anan'ev [9], in considering the theoretical properties of resonators with corner cube prisms, specifically mentioned the influence of bevels of finite width at the prism edges as a possible explanation for a tendency for distinct longitudinal sectors to oscillate independently, but did not go on to develop this idea into a model which could be used to explain experimental results.…”

Modeling laser brightness from cross Porro prism resonators

“…The model correctly accounted for the beam direction, but did not account for the complex field distribution found experimentally from the laser. Even the physical optics models fail to account for the true field pattern found from such resonators 3,8 . In [3] for example, the kernel of the Fresnel-Kirchoff diffraction integral contains only the OPL experienced by the beam, thus treating the prism as though it were acting like a perfect mirror, with an identical ABCD matrix representation albeit incorporating the inverting properties of the prisms.…”

“…This approach appears to be the preferred model for prisms 7 , even though it does not explain the complex transverse field patterns found in Porro prism resonators. This is a recurring problem in the literature, with only a hint at a solution offered in [8,9], where it is proposed to treat the field patterns as a result of diffractive coupling between a linear combination of subresonators. Anan'ev 9 , in considering the theoretical properties of resonators with corner cube prisms, specifically mentions the influence of bevels of finite width at the prism edges as a possible explanation for tendency for independent oscillation at different parts of the cross-section (looking down the length of the resonator), but does not go on to develop this idea into a model which can be used to explain experimental results.…”