Fractal multiple reduction imaging lasers

Abstract

All-optical realisations of multiple reduction copy machines (MRCMs) are treated as laser resonators. Intra-cavity elements image a plane inside the resonator onto various parts of itself. In this plane, the intensity cross-section of the lowest-loss mode is a diffraction-limited approximation to a self-similar (or self-affine) fractal. After inclusion of a coherent gain medium resonators of this type constitute lasers with self-similar eigenmodes.