Physics 425 Modern Optics

Lecture Notes W. Andreas Schroeder

XI.

Lasers Oscillation Modes

LASERS OSCILLATION MODES

Transverse Modes
In the paraxial approximation, the q parameter describes the propagation of all HermiteGaussian modes. It is therefore not surprising that a laser resonator constructed with
spherical optics (the mirrors) can support an infinite set of Hermite-Gaussian modes
the transverse modes.
The fundamental transverse mode (TEM00) is purely Gaussian in radial extent:
E (r )

y
Eo

Eo
e

x
-w
-

r 2
E ( r ) = E o exp
w

this is the most sought after mode from a laser since it is the easiest to
characterize and hence use in experiments, e.g. laser spectroscopy.
, of order n:
Higher order modes involve the Hermite polynomials, H n 2 x

w
z
(
)

E (x )

I (x )

TEM10 ;

x 2
y 2
2x
exp exp
E ( x ) = E o H 1

w
w
w(z )

Physics 425 Modern Optics

Lecture Notes W. Andreas Schroeder

Lasers Oscillation Modes

E (x )

TEM 50 ;

x2 + y2
2x
exp
E (x ) = E o H 5

2
w
w

Of course, radial symmetry permits higher order transverse modes in both the x and y
directions.
E.g. TEM23

r 2
2x
2y

E ( x, y ) = E o H 2
H 3 w exp w
w

NOTE: For the TEMnm transverse mode the n and m coefficients refer to the
orders of the Hermite polynomials in the x and y directions respectively.

Physics 425 Modern Optics

Lecture Notes W. Andreas Schroeder

Lasers Oscillation Modes

Most lasers can be forced to operate on only the fundamental TEM00 mode by placing a
suitably sized circular aperture inside the cavity;

I(r)

aperture

Output

The size of the aperture must be chosen so that the losses for all but the TEM00 mode
are so high that they cannot oscillate. The aperture is usually placed near the minimum
beam waist in the cavity where the TEM00 mode is best characterized (i.e., wo can be
evaluated most easily).

NOTE: A spatial gain profile g(r) can also be used to select the TEM00 mode in
some cases; e.g., a laser pumped by a laser:

g(r) from Gaussian

mode of pump laser.

TEM00

TEM1o

overlap of g(r) with TEM00 mode

better than higher order modes so
it sees the most gain.

Physics 425 Modern Optics

Lecture Notes W. Andreas Schroeder

N.B.
i)

Lasers Oscillation Modes

A multimode laser typically has several transverse modes oscillating at

once. The resultant spatial mode profile is the superposition of all the lasing
modes.
E.g., the donut mode is a superposition of the TEM10 and TEM01 modes;

hole

TEM01
TEM10

ii)

These are also radial solutions to the paraxial wave equation. These produce
Laguerre-Gaussian modes (TEMpl);

p,l = 0,0

p,l = 0,3

p,l = 1,3

Physics 425 Modern Optics

Lecture Notes W. Andreas Schroeder

Lasers Oscillation Modes

Longitudinal Modes
__

Also known as axial modes.

In addition to the transverse modes reproducing themselves on each round-trip of the

cavity, the phase of the oscillating EM-field at frequency must also be in-phase after
each round-trip. In other words, an integer multiple of must equal the cavity length
2
(i.e. 2L = m);

c.f. modes on a vibrating string.

So, if there are two neighboring resonant wavelengths 1 and 2 , we have
L=

m1 (m + 1) 2
=
2
2

2 = m(1 2 ) = m

= =
m 2L
= 1 2

But, v =

c
2

hence

Longitudinal mode spacing, v =

c
2L

Physics 425 Modern Optics

Lecture Notes W. Andreas Schroeder

Lasers Oscillation Modes

NOTE: Not surprisingly, v is the same as the free-spectral range, v FSR , of a

Fabry-Perot etalon both are cavities!

v
(FSR
)

In laser physics, the spectral width of an axial mode is usually ignored because it is
much narrower than even the gain bandwidth. For example, consider the typical cavity
shown below;

L = 1m

R 100%

R 90%

c
=150 MHz.
2L
The width v can be calculated using the resolving power

The axial mode spacing, v =

v
m F 2L R
=
=
v
2
(1 R )

since m =

v =

c(1 R )

2L R

2L
4R
and F =
.

(1 R )2

= 2.45 MHz

using R = Rav. = 0.95.

Physics 425 Modern Optics

Lecture Notes W. Andreas Schroeder

v
~ 100
v

Lasers Oscillation Modes

AND t ~

1
~ 1s
v

c.f. typical upper state lifetime 1s, BUT gain bandwidth >> v .
N.B.
1. Typically, several axial modes exist under the gain bandwidth of the lasing
medium, but only those for which the gain exceeds the losses can oscillate;
modes that can oscillate

lasing
linewidth

c
2L

loss line

vo = v12

So, in general, several modes will oscillate in a laser with usually random phase
relationships with each other; i.e., the temporal output will look like

E(t)

Physics 425 Modern Optics

Lecture Notes W. Andreas Schroeder

Lasers Oscillation Modes

2. Each longitudinal mode has TEMnm modes associated with it, e.g.

c
2L

TEMnmq

TEM10q

TEM00q

Each transverse mode has a slightly different frequency since higher order
modes travel through marginally different cavity lengths on average;

Higher order mode

Fundamental mode

Lnm
Loo