Frustrated total internal reflection of laser eigenstates

The role of frustrated total internal reflection in the dynamics of laser eigenstates is investigated theoretically and experimentally. We first derive the Jones matrix of a frustrating element for a realistic Gaussian beam in a single-pass geometry. We point out the existence of three different angular regimes, namely, a pure frustration regime, an intermediate regime, and a quasi-Fabry-Perot regime. We then explore in each case the nature and the competition between the laser polarization eigenstates. A novel spiraling behavior of the laser parameters is demonstrated when the frustrating gap is varied, along with puzzling polarization-flipping effects, that may modify strongly the conditions that optimize the laser-output power. Experimental results agree with a theoretical model.