CONDITIONS FOR EFFICIENT BUILDUP OF POWER IN PHOTOREFRACTIVE RING CAVITIES

We present results on modelling of amplification of light in a photore fractive ring resonator and on the optimum parameters required to achi eve a high build-up of power. We show that an efficient resonator can be realised even with moderate coupling coefficients, of the order of 5 cm(-1), provided the value of absorption is low, namely below 0.1 cm (-1) These two conditions can be simultaneously fulfilled in a Rh:BaTi O3 crystal, using a near-infrared (1.06 mu m) laser as a pump beam. Th e low absorption coefficient condition also relaxes the dependence on the absolute value of transmission/reflection of the out-coupling elem ent. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.