On the longitudinal component of paraxial fields
The analysis of paraxial Gaussian beams features in most undergraduate courses in laser physics, advanced optics and photonics. These beams provide a simple model of the field generated in the resonant cavities of lasers, thus constituting a basic element for understanding laser theory. Usually, uni...
| Autores: | , , , , |
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| Formato: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión aceptada para publicación |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2012 |
| País: | España |
| Recursos: | Universidad de Barcelona |
| Repositorio: | Dipòsit Digital de la UB |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/43549 |
| Acesso em linha: | https://hdl.handle.net/2445/43549 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palavra-chave: | Làsers Fotònica Electromagnetisme Òptica geomètrica Equacions de Maxwell Lasers Photonics Electromagnetism Geometrical optics Maxwell equations |
| Resumo: | The analysis of paraxial Gaussian beams features in most undergraduate courses in laser physics, advanced optics and photonics. These beams provide a simple model of the field generated in the resonant cavities of lasers, thus constituting a basic element for understanding laser theory. Usually, uniformly polarized beams are considered in the analytical calculations, with the electric field vibrating at normal planes to the propagation direction. However, such paraxial fields do not verify the Maxwell equations. In this paper we discuss how to overcome this apparent contradiction and evaluate the longitudinal component that any paraxial Gaussian beam should exhibit. Despite the fact that the assumption of a purely transverse paraxial field is useful and accurate, the inclusion of the above issue in the program helps students to clarify the importance of the electromagnetic nature of light, thus providing a more complete understanding of the paraxial approach. |
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