Deformation sensitivity of resonators formed by prism mirrors with transversely varying transmission

An experimental investigation was made of the influence of the resonator mirror misalignment and of the thermal deformation of the active element on the angular divergence of the radiation emitted from a laser resonator formed from frustrated-total-internal-reflection prisms acting as plane mirrors with a transversely varying transmission. It was found that such a resonator was less sensitive to the misalignment of the resonator mirrors and to the thermal deformation of the active element.