Unstable Optical Resonators

This paper reviews the current level of theoretical understanding and experimental confirmation of the properties of unstable optical resonators for laser oscillators. A primary conclusion is that for any laser system characterized by a moderate gain per pass and a Fresnel number greater than a few times unity the unstable resonator provides the best practical resonator design for obtaining a high-quality near-diffraction-limited output laser beam combined with efficient energy extraction from the laser medium.