PULSED SINGLE-MODE LASER IN 4-ARM GRAZING-INCIDENCE CAVITY

A four-arm grazing-incidence cavity (GIC) is demonstrated. It ensures stable single-mode operation in a pulsed-laser system by interferometr ically enhancing mode selection; the corresponding standard GIC operat es on five modes. We compare the four-arm GIC with the standard GIC an d with two other multiple-arm GICs and show that it gives the best ove rall performance in terms of mode selectivity and threshold. An analys is has been developed that allows cavity parameters to be optimized fo r mode selection. The analysis has been verified experimentally.