High power optics

Abstract

The advent of the laser has placed stringent requirements on the fabrication, performance and quality of optical elements employed within systems for most practical applications. Their high power performance is generally governed by three distinct steps, firstly the absorption of incident optical radiation (governed primarily by various absorption mechanisms); secondly, followed by a temperature increase and response governed primarily by thermal properties and finally the elements thermo-optical and thermomechanical response, e.g., distortion, stress birefringenous fracture, etc. All of which needs to be understood in the design of efficient, compact, reliable and useful for many applications high power systems, under a variety of operating conditions, pulsed, continuous wave, rep-rated or burst mode of varying duty cycles which is the most important for the wide spectrum of applications.