Characteristics of Laser Beams Propagating in a Homogeneous Medium

Characteristics of laser beams propagating in a homogeneous medium were investigated in this paper. The wavelength, refractive index, and beam waist radius specify the divergence angles of laser beams. Based on the viewpoints of geometrical and physical optics the properties of optics field near and far from beam waist are evidently different. The main aim of this study was to analyze optics field near and far from beam waist and the influences of laser and medium parameters on divergence angle. The results show that divergence angle increases with wavelength and optics fields approximate plane and spherical wave for far lower and greater Rayleigh length, respectively