Adaptive control of laser modal properties

Quetschke, V.; Gleason, J.; Rakhmanov, M.; Lee, J.; Zhang, L.; Franzen, K. Y.; Leidel, Christina; Mueller, G.; Amin, R.; Tanner, D. B.; Reitze, D. H.

doi:10.1364/ol.31.000217

Cited by 15 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Recently such an adaptive system was proposed, and initial results were presented. 4 Here we present a comprehensive investigation of thermally induced adaptive beam shaping, including detailed theory and enhanced experimental results. A number of new techniques is proposed to implement the positive as well as negative lensing element.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptive beam shaping by controlled thermal lensing in optical elements

et al. 2007

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We describe an adaptive optical system for use as a tunable focusing element. The system provides adaptive beam shaping via controlled thermal lensing in the optical elements. The system is agile, remotely controllable, touch free, and vacuum compatible; it offers a wide dynamic range, aberration-free focal length tuning, and can provide both positive and negative lensing effects. Focusing is obtained through dynamic heating of an optical element by an external pump beam. The system is especially suitable for use in interferometric gravitational wave interferometers employing high laser power, allowing for in situ control of the laser modal properties and compensation for thermal lensing of the primary laser. Using CO(2) laser heating of fused-silica substrates, we demonstrate a focal length variable from infinity to 4.0 m, with a slope of 0.082 diopter/W of absorbed heat. For on-axis operation, no higher-order modes are introduced by the adaptive optical element. Theoretical modeling of the induced optical path change and predicted thermal lens agrees well with measurement.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptive beam shaping by controlled thermal lensing in optical elements

et al. 2007

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“…The authors of [10] obtained the values from approximately f = −2.5 to −0.5 m for the heating laser power range P HL = 2 to 8 mW in a solution of the sunset yellow dye in ethanol. In [11], the values of f are reported to vary from 1.25 to 10 m for P HL changed from 0.5 to 6 W for a thermal lens formed in a colour glass filter. Our results show that temperature stabilization of the thermal lens material is a requirement for a heating laser power-controlled thermal lens.…”

Section: Macroscopic Aperture Thermal Lensmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

“…[9][10][11], ∇n formation can lead to the formation of a few millimetre (thus macroscopic)-size aperture thermal lenses whose focal length depends on the heating laser intensity. However, the authors of these two works did not take into account that ∇n at a selected heating laser intensity can depend as well on the bulk temperature of the thermal lens element, irrespective of this element being a liquid [9, 10] or solid [11]. This particular dependence was the subject of our interest, and this work presents the results of our studies.…”

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Thermal lens in a liquid sample with focal length controllable by bulk temperature

et al. 2016

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In this paper, we propose a new solution, which is an improvement to recent propositions given in [9][10][11]. In contrast to many of the above-cited ideas, which rely on modification of the lens shape, one can induce a refractive index distribution, ∇n, that acts as a lens, without changing the shape of the lensing element. Optical elements with such n distribution, called GRIN (gradient refractive index), are e.g. lenses or fibres, but these elements have ∇n fixed. Therefore, they do not conform to the idea of flexible optical elements (as used e.g. in adaptive optics). Meanwhile, such ∇n can be induced thermally, by irradiation of the thermal lensing element by a heating laser beam, absorbed by this elements material, or by controlled electrical heating of the thermal lensing element [12]. As shown by the authors of Refs. [9][10][11], ∇n formation can lead to the formation of a few millimetre (thus macroscopic)-size aperture thermal lenses whose focal length depends on the heating laser intensity. However, the authors of these two works did not take into account that ∇n at a selected heating laser intensity can depend as well on the bulk temperature of the thermal lens element, irrespective of this element being a liquid [9, 10] or solid [11]. This particular dependence was the subject of our interest, and this work presents the results of our studies.In principle, the laser can also induce the nonlinear Kerr effect or electrostriction force-both of which can lead to nonzero ∇n [13]. In this work, we assume these effects negligible and we focus only on the thermo-optical effect. It follows from nonzero thermo-optical ∂n ∂T parameter of the medium illuminated by heating laser. We present results for a liquid thermal lens material, but thermal lenses can be formed in solids as well, e.g. in glasses. This last case is more attractive from the application point of view. Solids are free from convection and easier to use in different optical set-ups. Additionally, due to the thermal expansion, Abstract An experimental and numerical investigation of the applicability of the temperature-controlled focal length of a thermally induced lens is reported. The thermal lens is formed as a result of absorption of a heating laser beam. Numerical simulations and experimental results show that changing the bulk temperature of the material of the lensing element allows for the selection of its focal length. The range of focal length changes for an example lens is given.

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“…They targeted the uniformity of the temperature distribution in the optics by different means. Ring heaters [9,10], external pump beams [11,12] and radiative heaters [13] were the first corrective systems tested and inplemented in the interferometer gravitational wave detectors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Performance of a thermally deformable mirror for correction of low-order aberrations in laser beams

et al. 2013

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The thermally deformable mirror is a device aiming at correcting beam-wavefront distortions for applications where classical mechanical methods are precluded by noise considerations, as in advanced gravitational wave interferometric detectors. This moderately low-cost technology can be easily implemented and controlled thanks to the good reproducibility of the actuation. By using a flexible printed circuit board technology, we demonstrate experimentally that a device of 61 actuators in thermal contact with the back surface of a high-reflective mirror is able to correct the low-order aberrations of a laser beam at 1064 nm and could be used to optimize the mode matching into Fabry-Perot cavities.

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Adaptive control of laser modal properties

Cited by 15 publications

References 10 publications

Adaptive beam shaping by controlled thermal lensing in optical elements

Adaptive beam shaping by controlled thermal lensing in optical elements

Thermal lens in a liquid sample with focal length controllable by bulk temperature

Performance of a thermally deformable mirror for correction of low-order aberrations in laser beams

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