Abstract
This paper presents a tutorial review of the aberration-sensitivity characteristic of unstable-cavity geometries. The general formulation of the set of aberration-sensitivity coefficients for an unstable cavity is provided, and the geometric approximation of their behavior is fully developed. The influence of the diffractive formation of the transverse-mode field distribution on the aberration sensitivity is considered in detail, and the interrelationship between this sensitivity measure and the diffractive transverse-mode discrimination of the cavity is described. The theory is developed for both standing-wave and traveling-wave (ring) cavities. Methods of modifying the aberration-sensitivity behavior for a given unstable-cavity geometry are also considered; these include aperture apodization, intracavity spatial filtering, and intracavity beam rotation. Finally, the application of an intracavity adaptive-optic system for the purpose of transverse-mode control in the presence of uncontrollable intracavity aberration sources is considered from both the geometric and the diffractive theories.
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