ABCD matrix formalism for real laser

In summary, the ABCD matrix formalism for real lasers provides a mathematical framework for analyzing the propagation of light through optical systems. By representing the system using matrices that describe the effects of various optical components, such as lenses and mirrors, the formalism allows for the calculation of beam parameters and their evolution as the beam travels. This approach is particularly useful in designing laser cavities and understanding the behavior of laser beams in different configurations, enabling improved optimization and performance in laser applications.
  • #1
kelly0303
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Hello! I have an optical setup and a laser producing a gaussian beam and I would like to get the waist of the beam at the end of the setup (i actually want to know what focal length to use for some lenses, such that I get a certain beam waist in the end). Getting the ABCD matrix for my setup is straightforward (I don't need to be super accurate, e.g. I don't account for the lenses thickness), but I am not sure about the initial properties of the beams. For a gaussian beam (which is my case), the 2 parameters that get propagated using ABCD formalism are the waist and the radius of the wavefront of the beam. I have the waist at the beginning of my setup from the laser specifications (they provide waist vs distance from the laser head), but I can't seem to find any information about the wavefront and I am a bit confused about how to obtain that. In their waist vs length plot there is a minimum, can I assume that the wavefront is zero there, or is that not generally the case? Thank you!
 

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