POLARIZATION STATES OF A SINGLE-MODE (MICROCHIP) ND3- PART I - THEORY(YAG LASER )

We present a microscopic mathematical model for the polarization state s of a single-frequency Nd(3+)YAG laser. It is a plane wave, mean fiel d, vector model carried to all orders in the laser field. The crystal is assumed to be optically pumped longitudinally with a laser of speci fied polarization. For D-2 Site symmetry and an odd number of electron s, we establish the phase relationships between the components of the electric dipole matrix elements between the Kramers states. These rela tionships are central in determining the site-specific coupling betwee n both the primp and laser fields to the Nd3+ ions. The Laser cavity i s assumed to be linear and quasi-isotropic. The residual optical aniso tropies are included using a round-trip Jones matrix formalism.