Evaluating the Potential of Laser Beam Quality Improvement by Adaptive Optics System

Abstract

AO (adaptive optics) systems have been extensively used to improve the beam quality in high-energy lasers; however, few studies have focused on how much the beam quality could be improved. A novel evaluation criteria and factor is presented in this paper. The factor, defined as power in ring (PIR), is expressed by distinguishing the low- and high-spatial frequency components in the far-field laser intensity distribution. Beams with different PIR values are generated in our model, and then they are compensated by AO systems. Calculation result shows that the PIR factor could evaluate a laser beam’s improvement potential by an AO system quantitatively.

Simplified Geometric Approach to Freeform Beam Shaper Design

“…It has numerous applications in all the fields where spatial light distribution plays vital role in illumination design [1], solar concentration optics [2], material processing [3], laser active media pumping [4], laser output wavefront correction, semiconductor lasers beam forming [5], lidar [6], military optronics [7], and many others. Beam shaping process can be realized by a variety of optical methods, based on refractive, reflective, diffractive, and adaptive components [8]. A general beam of light is defined by two quantities: irradiance spatial distribution and wavefront (or phase spatial distribution).…”