ABSTRACT
The detailed design of laser systems often requires numerical modelling to include all aspects of the optical system: diffraction propagation, nonlinear gain, lenses and mirrors, apertures and other optical elements. As the complexity and variety of laser systems has expanded over the years, the need for powerful analytical methods has become increasingly important. The optical engineer or scientist can determine the end-to-end performance of a complex system based on the characteristics of the lenses and mirrors, propagation distances, apertures, aberrations, laser gain and other effects.
