Spectral analysis of a laser beam

Abstract

The formulas of the dependence of the spectral laser power distribution and its spectral half-width on the physical parameters of its laser active medium are derived. In addition it is found that, if the gain line profile has a Lorentzian or Gaussian distribution, the spectral laser power distribution is of a Lorentzian profile. The spectral halfwidth of the laser beam in both cases are slightly different form each other. For a general gain line profile, the spectral laser power distribution behaves as a differential form like that of the gain line profile. The spectral halfwidth of He/Ne laser beam having powers (0·5 mW, 1·0 mW, 3·0 mW and 50 mW) and that of their longitudinal modes, the laser gain factor and the difference between the population atomic densities of the upper and lower energy levels for the laser line transition are experimentally determined.