Optical field propagation model of ring-down cavity light field based on angular spectrum propagation theory and evaluation criterion of cavity tuning br

In cavity ring-down technique, cavity maladjustment has an essential effect on the measurement ofintracavity loss. Several adjustment criterions have been adopted to achieve the optimal cavity state. However,experimental study shows that these criterions may correspond to different cavity states, which means thatthere is discrepancy between different criterions. In view of this problem, a model of intracavity propagation ofGaussian beam is established based on the angular spectrum propagation theory. This model is tested bynumerical simulation and experimental research together. In the simulation, the true value of intracavity losscan be known beforehand. The two-dimensional angular scanning is carried out for certain cavity mirror. Thetwo-dimensional distributions of the measure value of intracavity loss and the transmission light intensity areobtained simultaneously. These distributions are both nonlinear and multi-extremum, which will doubtlesslyincrease the difficulty in realizing the cavity adjustment. By comparing the distributions , we do find thediscrepancy between the largest transmission light intensity and the least measured intracavity loss. Meanwhileboth of these two states may be not corresponding to the true value in fact. After statistical studies, the relativeerror of the least measured intracavity loss is (-37.01 +/- 11.79) ppm, whereas the relative error of the largesttransmission intensity is (-2.70 +/- 0.89) ppm. The criterion of the largest transmission intensity shows betterstability and repeatability. This model is further tested in a folded cavity ring-down setup. The similar scanningprocedure is carried out. A major problem in the experiment is that the true value of intracavity loss cannot beknown. So only the repeatability precision of the measured intracavity loss can be analyzed. The statisticalresults of the largest light intensity and the least measured intracavity loss are +/- 29.32 ppm and +/- 70.71 ppm,respectively. The criterion of the largest transmission intensity has better repeatability, which is basicallyconsistent with the simulation result. In this way the rationality of this model can be verified to some degree. Inthis paper, the criterion of the largest transmission intensity is recommended in the cavity ring-down technique.Furthermore, this model can be a reference for the research of intracavity optical field response, intracavityoptical field transmission, unstable resonator alignment, etc