Abstract: | The lasing properties of an oval-shaped resonant cavity (ORC) with a continuously variable aspect ratio have been studied. The ORC was formed with a dye-doped pendant drop placed inside a variable static electric field. When the drop ORC was pumped by a nitrogen laser, lasing from the ORC was found to have strong directional emission characteristics and an intensity enhancement factor as great as 19.5. Calculated results of light rays escaping from ORC's by refraction are in good agreement with the experimental data. |