Influence of the inversion inhomogeneity on the transverse structure of oscillations in solid-state lasers

The geometrical-optics approach is used in an analysis of the influence of the inhomogeneity of population inversion, which appears under spiking conditions, on the transverse structure of the radiation field of a laser. It is shown that under certain conditions the inversion inhomogeneity at right angles to the resonator axis has little influence on the properties of the output radiation. The results are given of an experimental investigation of the transverse structure of the radiation emitted by a neodymium-glass laser under conditions corresponding to different degrees of influence of the inversion inhomogeneity.