It is well known that beam distortions in a laser cavity can deteriorate the laser’s beam quality, but why and exactly how the impact of such distortions can strongly depend on details of the resonator setup has not been studied in detail. This article clarifies the issue with a simple resonant mode coupling model, explaining e.g. why strong beam quality deterioration is often observed near certain (but not all) resonator frequency degeneracies, while a resonator can be very tolerant to distortions in other cases. These findings lead to important conclusions, including practical guidelines for optimizing laser beam quality via cavity design.

© 2006 Optical Society of America

1. A. E. Siegman, "New developments in laser resonators," Proc. SPIE 1224, 2-14 (1990). [CrossRef]
2. T. Kimura, K. Otsuka, and M. Saruwatari, "Spatial hole-burning effects in a Nd3+:YAG laser," IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 7, 225-230 (1971). [CrossRef]
3. Q. Zhang, B. Ozygus, and H. Weber, "Degeneration effects in laser cavities," Eur. Phys. J. AP 6, 293-298 (1999). [CrossRef]
4. A. E. Siegman, "Effects of small-scale phase perturbations on laser oscillator beam quality," IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 13, 334-337 (1977). [CrossRef]
5. T. Klaassen, J. de Jong, M. van Exter, and J. P. Woerdman, "Transverse mode coupling in an optical resonator," Opt. Lett. 30, 1959-1961 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
6. V. Magni, "Multielement stable resonators containing a variable lens," J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 4, 1962-1969 (1987). [CrossRef]

de Jong, J.
Kimura, T.
Klaassen, T.
Magni, V.
Otsuka, K.
Ozygus, B.
Saruwatari, M.
Siegman, A. E.
van Exter, M.
Weber, H.
Woerdman, J. P.
Zhang, Q.

Eur. Phys. J. AP

• Q. Zhang, B. Ozygus, and H. Weber, "Degeneration effects in laser cavities," Eur. Phys. J. AP 6, 293-298 (1999). [CrossRef]

IEEE J. Quantum Electron.

• A. E. Siegman, "Effects of small-scale phase perturbations on laser oscillator beam quality," IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 13, 334-337 (1977). [CrossRef]
• T. Kimura, K. Otsuka, and M. Saruwatari, "Spatial hole-burning effects in a Nd3+:YAG laser," IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 7, 225-230 (1971). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. A

• V. Magni, "Multielement stable resonators containing a variable lens," J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 4, 1962-1969 (1987). [CrossRef]

Opt. Lett.

• T. Klaassen, J. de Jong, M. van Exter, and J. P. Woerdman, "Transverse mode coupling in an optical resonator," Opt. Lett. 30, 1959-1961 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Proc. SPIE

• A. E. Siegman, "New developments in laser resonators," Proc. SPIE 1224, 2-14 (1990). [CrossRef]

2005, Klaassen, Opt. Lett.
1999, Zhang, Eur. Phys. J. AP
1990, Siegman, Proc. SPIE
1987, Magni, J. Opt. Soc. Am. A
1977, Siegman, IEEE J. Quantum Electron.
1971, Kimura, IEEE J. Quantum Electron.

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