1

EE231 Problem Set 1 Solutions

Problem 1.

(a) Given w(0) = w0 and Λ, w(L) = w0 "!""""""""""""""""""""""""

1 # # $$$$$$$ $ " = w0 "!""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
1 # # $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $ $ . We want to minimize w(L), so we set
L 2 2
LΛ

$ & 0, which occurs when w0 & '((((((((

LΛ (
zR Π w0 2

d%w0 &
possible at a distance L. Notice that w0 & '(((((((( LΛ (
d w%L&
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$ . This is the waist radius that we choose to make the spot size as small as
means that L = zR , since zR = Πw0 2 ) Λ.
Π

*++++
$$$$$$$$
Π

(c) With Λ = 1550nm and L = z & 385000 km, w & '((((((((((

(b) Since L = zR , w(L) = 2 "w0 .
R 0 L $$$$Λ$ & 13.78"m. This is the beam waist radius on Earth. To find

*++++
Π
out how much power would be incident on a 1 m diameter circular mirror on the moon, first we need to find w(L). the beam

$ & $. In this case a = .5m, so $$$$$$$$$$$$$

size on the moon. From part (b), we know w(L) = 2 "w0 , so w(L) = 19.49m. To find how much of the power is incident on
P%a& a 2 P%a&
the 1−m mirror on the moon, we use the formula $$$$$$$$$$$$$
P%'&
$ & 1 ( exp#(2"% $$$$$
w P%'&
$ = 0.0013.
P%a&
(d) Proceeding as in (c) but with Λ = 450nm, we obtain w0 = 7.42m and $$$$$$$$$$$$$
P%'&
$ =0.009.
(e) In general, waves with smaller wavelength diffract less.

Problem 2.

(a) We have 2 w0 & 0.5 Μm, and Λ = 780nm so zR = Πw0 2 ) Λ & 0.252"Μm. Since w(z) = w0 "!""""""""""""""""""""""""
1 # # $$$$$$$ $ ",
z 2

*++++
w%zR & & w0 " 2 . So the tolerance is *zR & *0.252"Μm.
zR

(b) At z = 1Μm, w(z) = w0 "!""""""""""""""""""""""""

1 # # $$$$$$$ z 2"
$ = 0.993mm. The fraction of the power that passes through an aperture of radius a is

$ & $. Setting this equal to .99, we obtain a = 1.517w(z), so a = 1.507mm, and the diameter of the lens shoule
zR
a 2
1 − exp#(2"% $$$$$
w
be at least ~3mm.

Problem 3.
The notation of this problem caused some confusion. We are given the transverse phase variation of a spherical wave (in the
paraxial approximation) with radius of curvature R. We want to find the transverse phase variation of the wave after it

that for a thin lens, the formula relating R and Rout is 1 ) Rout & 1 ) R ( 1 ) f . To get the correct formula for a curved mirror,
reflects off of mirrors having different curvature. This means that we need to find Rout , the new radius of curvature. Recall

(1 ) Rout & 1 ) R ( 2 ) Rm , where Rm is the mirror’s radius of curvature.

we first replace f with R/2 in the formula above. The mirror also changes the sign of Rout . So the proper formula is

(a) For a plane mirror, Rm & ', so Rout & (R

(c) For a convex sphericam mirror with Rm & (R, and we obtain Rout & (R ) 3.
(b) For a concave spherical mirror with Rm & R, we obtain Rout & R.
 2

Problem 4.
The solution to this problem includes the Mathematica code necessary to generate all the plots.

(a) First, we look at the intensity at z = 0. The following definitions are necessary:

w!z_" :! w0"#$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
1 # % $$$$$$$$ & ; %!z_" :! ArcTan' $$$$$$$$ ( ;
z 2 z
zr zr
zr2
w0 :! 1; zr :! 1; k :! 1; R!z_" :! z # $$$$$$$$$$
b ! )1.19176, 0, .0044144, 0, &.0116784, 0,
z

&2.54244 10&9 , 0, 7.61611 10&11 , 0, &1.57559 10&12 , 0, 2.01701 10&14 *;

0.000861331, 0, &0.0000244256, 0, &2.60741 10&7 , 0, 5.31336 10&8 , 0,

+ b!!n"" En0!n & 1, x, z"

nmax # 1
Etotal!nmax_, x_, z_" :!
n! 1
IntensityTotal!n_, x_, z_" :! Etotal!n, x, z" ' Conjugate!Etotal!n, x, z""

At y =0, z=0, our Hermite−Gaussian modes are of the form:

,----
En0!n_, x_, z_" :! HermiteH'n, 2 "x( Exp!&x2 "

Here is a plot of the different approzimations to E(x, y=0, z=0). The maximum intensity for N = 20 at z = 0 is about 1.23.
We can see that the approximation gets better as N geta larger, but that even with N = 20, it still isn’t great. In order to get a
better approximation, we would need to let N be much larger. This is because the smooth Hermite−Gaussian modes don’t
look much like the sharp−edged top−hat function.

IntensityTotal!10, x, 0", IntensityTotal!20, x, 0"*, )x, &2, 2*"

Plot!)IntensityTotal!2, x, 0", IntensityTotal!6, x, 0",

1.4
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2

-2 -1 1 2
I0max ! 1.23;

(b) Now, we artificially set our Guoy phase to zero, so our Hermite−Gaussian modes are:

,---- 1 x2 4
2 "x . w!z"( Exp' $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ ("Exp'&("3
3
3k z # k $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ 6
6
6(
1 &x2
/w!z"02 2 2 R!z" 5
En0!n_, x_, z_" :! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ "HermiteH'n,
w!z"
 3

Plotting the intensity evolution normalized to the maximum intensity at z = 0 (for N = 20) at z = %zR , 0.5"zR , 2"zR , 4"zR &
without the Gouy phase we get:

IntensityTotal!20, x, $$$ 1
2
$" IntensityTotal!20, x, 1"
Plot'7 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ , $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ ,
I0max I0max

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ , $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ 8 , )x, &6, 6*, PlotRange ) All(

IntensityTotal!20, x, 2" IntensityTotal!20, x, 4"
I0max I0max

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

-6 -4 -2 2 4 6

This doesn’t look anything like the expected diffraction pattern. As we move to larger values of z, the intensity pattern just
widens, and decreases in amplitude, without changing its overall shape.

*+++++++++++
and not (n + $$$$12$ ), and that we have 1/w(z) and not 1 , w%z& as our first term. These contributions are from E0 %y&.
(c) Now we put the Guoy phase into the modes, and see what happens. Note that the Guoy phase is multiplied by (n + 1)

En0!n_, x_, z_" :!

,---- 1 x2 4
2 "x . w!z"( Exp' $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ ("Exp'&("3
3
3k z # k $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ 6
6
6("Exp!( / n # 10 %!z""
1 &x2
/w!z"02 2 2 R!z" 5
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ "HermiteH'n,
w!z"

IntensityTotal!20, x, $$$ 1
2
$" IntensityTotal!20, x, 1"
Plot'7 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ , $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ ,
I0max I0max

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ , $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ 8 , )x, &6, 6*, PlotRange ) All(

IntensityTotal!20, x, 2" IntensityTotal!20, x, 4"
I0max I0max

1.2

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

-6 -4 -2 2 4 6
 4

The plot at z =2 zR shows that we recover the expected %sin%x& ) x&2 diffraction pattern.

Plot'7 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ 8, )x, &10, 10*, PlotRange ) All(

IntensityTotal!20, x, 2"
I0max

0.2

0.15

0.1

0.05

-10 -5 5 10