Coupled array of CO2 waveguide lasers

Citation

Zhang, Yongfang (1993) Coupled array of CO2 waveguide lasers. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/zajm-ra61. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-11212007-125547

Abstract

NOTE: Text or symbols not renderable in plain ASCII are indicated by [...]. Abstract is included in .pdf document. In this thesis, arrays of coupled waveguide [...] lasers and some aspects of coupled laser arrays in general are studied. The in-phase coupled supermode is desirable in almost all laser applications, but it is not always obtained in laser arrays. An analytical method is used to investigate the spatial overlap between the distributions of laser mode intensity and the medium gain and cavity loss, and its effect on mode. The result shows that the gain/loss in the inter-element regions of an array determines which supermode to oscillate: for a fixed gain level a high loss favors the out-of-phase supermode while a low loss, the in-phase supermode. Several waveguide [...] lasers, including wall-slot coupled ceramic and metal arrays, uncoupled arrays, single slab waveguide lasers, and slab waveguide lasers with unstable resonators were tested for their modal properties and power output. A new structure, the groove-coupled strip waveguide [...] laser array, that favors the in-phase coupled supermode was proposed and tested in two, three and five-element arrays. The experimental results showed that this new structure yields robust, pure in-phase coupled mode operation with a reasonable amount of output power. Also discussed in this thesis are the coupling of Gaussian waves in active media, the experiments in an all-metal, ridge-waveguide [...] laser pumped by microwaves, a new type of optical switching based on the unique properties of a coupled twin-element laser, and two-dimensional array of gas discharge lasers.

Thesis Files