Gas laser with intracavity phase anisotropy

Experimental and theoretical investigations are described of the competition between two axial modes in a gas laser with a phase-anisotropic resonator. The degree of influence exerted on the intermode interaction by the main characteristics of the resonator mode fields, i.e., the frequency splitting, spatial shift, and character of the mode polarizations, is determined. The conditions under which the frequency splitting of the modes and their spatial shift can be regulated independently are established. Qualitatively new operating regimes of twomode gas lasers utilizing $3s_2-3p_4$ and $3s_2-3p_2$ neon transitions are reported.