Reduction of Lasing Threshold by Deforming a Circular Resonator

We have reduced the lasing threshold of a circular resonator formed by a dye-doped pendant drop, by changing its shape from a circle to an oval. This phenomenon can be explained by the decrease of the number (p) of modes that support lasing in the resonator. A theory that connects wave and ray pictures in dealing with the cavity resonance is used to estimate p and its dependence on the eccentricity of an oval-shaped resonator. The measured lasing threshold and the calculated p have a linear relationship in agreement with our prediction.