title: Laser stability and beam steering in a nonregular polygonal cavity.
abstract: Two laser stability criteria or lasing conditions for cavity geometry based on the standard ABCD matrix analysis and the Bilger and Stedman analysis [Appl. Opt. 26, 3710 (1987)] are reconciled. Beam steering from mirror misalignment is discussed similarly, generalizing the Bilger and Stedman analysis to nonregular polygons by extending the standard ABCD matrix analysis to 3 x 3 matrices, which facilitates the thorough design of large rectangular ring lasers and is applied to a number of existing or planned ring lasers with perimeters of 77-120 m.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Bryn E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Currie
authors.forename: Geoffrey E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Stedman
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Dunn