Laser Resonators Using Tiered Fresnel Mirrors

• Main Author: Ulrich, Bruce Dale
• Format: Others
• Published: PDXScholar 1994
• Subjects: Lasers > Resonators; Fresnel lenses; Lasers > Mirrors; Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Online Access: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/4878; https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5950&context=open_access_etds

A reflective Tiered Fresnel Zone Plate, herein called a Tiered Fresnel Mirror TFM, with a focal length on the order of a meter is studied for use as the mirror(s) in a Fabry-Perot interferometer type of laser. The relative phase transition within the individual zones (ideally smooth from zero to pi ) is stair-stepped or tiered in the longitudinal direction of the mirror. Within an individual zone the step height is constrained to a constant whereas the width of the tiers are monotonically decreased when traversing radially outward so that the overall profile follows the ideal smooth curve. The effectiveness of the number of tiers per zone, measured by the loss per pass or round-trip, varies from a Plane Mirror (zero tiers per zone) to a Spherical Mirror (an infinite number of zones per tier). The Fox and Li iterative method of determining the E-Field as the beam propagates back and forth is applied to an empty cavity resonator to determine the diffraction loss. A computer program is written to investigate the diffraction loss of various mirror configurations. The performance of the TFM is found to be not as efficient as the Spherical Mirror (the number of tiers per zone is shown to be a major variable) but may be tolerable under applications of a moderately high gain laser medium. The Gaussian Fundamental mode is easier to maintain since the higher order modes have a higher loss per round trip. The manufacture of the TFM can be incorporated easily into an IC process thereby making the cost of the novel mirror relatively cheap when produced in quantities. A major cost variable is again the number of tiers per zone which is proportional to the number of processing steps. The TFM's performance with respect to the etch depth of the steps in the mirror's stair-stepped profile is simulated and found to be a very doable etch with the current plasma etch technology.