Four-plate birefringent filter for high-gain pulsed dye laser tuning

A complete quantitative analysis of a multistage birefringent filter has been used to design a four-plate filter for a high-gain dye laser. It is shown that both S and P polarization modes must be considered at all stages. The four-plate design, with thickness ratios of 1:2:4:8, succeeds where typical commercial designs (1:2:15 and 1:4:16) fail when used in a high-gain cavity. Calculations have been verified by performance measurements for a quartz filter. Design specifications are presented.