Aberration sensitivity of unstable-cavity geometries

Oughstun, Kurt E.

doi:10.1364/josaa.3.001113

Cited by 18 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…In fact, theoretical and experimental investigations suggest that the beam quality of unstable resonators is very sensitive to aberrations. [8][9][10][11][12][13] Finally, we want to consider the influence of higher-order aberrations on a stable laser resonator. The influence of higher-order aberrations is fundamentally different from the influence of the second-order aberration of thermal lensing.…”

Section: Aberrations In Laser Amplifiers and Resonatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptive aberration control in laser amplifiers and laser resonators

Wittrock

Buske

Heuck

2003

Laser Resonators and Beam Control VI

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We present experimental and theoretical results on aberration control in solid state laser amplifiers and resonators. In lasers with diffraction-limited beam quality, aberrations cause diffraction losses that reduce the output power. In laser amplifiers, aberrations degrade the beam quality of the amplified beam. Adaptive optics can be used to correct for the aberrations and thus increase output power and beam quality. The required precision of the adaptive aberration correction can be estimated with a simple mode expansion model in which an aberrated TEM 00 mode is expanded into Hermite-Gaussian modes. Apart from these theoretical results we will present experimental results for a MOPA (MasterOscillator-Power-Amplifier) laser system consisting of a Nd:YVO 4 master oscillator and two Nd:YAG power amplifiers. A micromachined deformable mirror was used in a closed-loop system to correct for the thermo-optic aberrations of the amplifiers. A beam with a beam quality of M 2 = 2.5 at an output power of 80 W was obtained. The deformable mirror was controlled by a genetic algorithm.

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Section: Aberrations In Laser Amplifiers and Resonatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptive aberration control in laser amplifiers and laser resonators

Wittrock

Buske

Heuck

2003

Laser Resonators and Beam Control VI

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“…The relationship between an intracavity corrector and the phase sensor has been well developed for an unstable resonator. 3 It can be approximated by a geometrical model. Previously, there have been experimental attempt at intracavity correction of a laser's output with adaptive optics with limited success.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intracavity adaptive correction of a 10-kW solid state heat-capacity laser

et al. 2004

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The Solid-State, Heat-Capacity Laser (SSHCL), under development at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is a large aperture (100 cm 2), confocal, unstable resonator requiring near-diffraction-limited beam quality. There are two primary sources of the aberrations in the system: residual, static aberrations from the fabrication of the optical components and predictable, time-dependent, thermally-induced index gradients within the gain medium. A deformable mirror placed within the cavity is used to correct the aberrations that are sensed externally with a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor. Although it is more challenging than external correction, intracavity correction enables control of the mode growth within the resonator, resulting in the ability to correct a more aberrated system longer. The overall system design, measurement techniques and correction algorithms are discussed. Experimental results from initial correction of the static aberrations and dynamic correction of the time-dependent aberrations are presented.

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Unstable Resonators

2005

Springer Series in Optical Sciences

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Aberration sensitivity of unstable-cavity geometries

Cited by 18 publications

References 39 publications

Adaptive aberration control in laser amplifiers and laser resonators

Adaptive aberration control in laser amplifiers and laser resonators

Intracavity adaptive correction of a 10-kW solid state heat-capacity laser

Unstable Resonators

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