Intra–cavity flat–top beam generation

Abstract

In this paper the authors present the analytical and numerical analyses of two new resonator systems for generating flat–top–like beams. Both approaches lead to closed form expressions for the required cavity optics, but differ substantially in the design technique, with the first based on reverse propagation of a flattened Gaussian beam, and the second a metamorphosis of a Gaussian field into a flat–top beam. The authors show that both have good convergence properties, and result in the desired stable mode.