SCATTERING MATRIX ANALYSIS OF OPTICAL RESONATORS WITH CAVITY IMPERFECTIONS

The scattering matrix analysis is a powerful tool that is used extensi vely for the analysis of microwave circuits and occasionally for that of optical devices. Here we apply the scattering matrix analysis to a class of optical resonators with sources external to the cavity. Such an analysis is general in the sense that it allows the inclusion of al l higher order cavity modes and the possible situations where the refl ection from and transmission through the cavity mirrors, for the waves incident from different directions, are different. The assumption of negligible diffraction losses or large extension of the cavity dimensi ons relative to the width of the cavity modes has to be made. In this paper single cavities and possible imperfections, such as relative sou rce or mirror misalignments, are considered. The case of multiple coup led cavities is an extension of this analysis and will be dealt with i n a separate publication.