Polarization Properties Of Internal Mirror He-Ne Lasers

J. A. Duardo; S. C. Wang; W. Hug

doi:10.1117/12.955011

22 October 1976 Polarization Properties Of Internal Mirror He-Ne Lasers

J. A. Duardo, S. C. Wang, W. Hug

Proceedings Volume 0088, Polarized Light: Instruments, Devices, Applications; (1976) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.955011
Event: 20th Annual Technical Symposium, 1976, San Diego, United States

Abstract

The states of polarization of the output beam (632.8 nm) of internal mirror He-Ne lasers have been investigated using a scanning Fabry-Perot Interferometer and linear polarizers. It was found that during the initial warmup period of the laser, the output power fluctuates periodically and the axial modes sweep rapidly across the Doppler gain profile. A thermal analysis shows that the sweeping rate is in good agreement with the calculated rate of expansion of the laser cavity. During certain periods of time which recur with a frequency that is related to the mode motion the output beam is linearly polarized in two preferred orthogonal directions. The states of polarization of the output beam are due to the tendency of axial modes to be linearly polarized, with an orthogonal relationship existing at times between adjacent modes. However, the polarization states of the total beam and of the individual modes also vary periodically and in a complicated manner as the laser warms up. It was found that the simple description of orthogonally polarized alternate modes is inadequate to characterize the beam during a large fraction of the time corresponding to a fluctuation cycle. The implications of these polarization properties on laser scanning applications are discussed.

Citation Download Citation

J. A. Duardo, S. C. Wang, and W. Hug "Polarization Properties Of Internal Mirror He-Ne Lasers", Proc. SPIE 0088, Polarized Light: Instruments, Devices, Applications, (22 October 1976); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.955011

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