Laser-controlled adaptive optic for beam quality enhancement in a multipass thin disk amplifier
Abstract
We devise a laser-controlled adaptive optical element which operates intracavity under high intensity radiation. This element substitutes a conventional mechanically deformable mirror and is free of critical heat-sensitive components and electronics. The deformation mechanism is based on the projection of a CW control laser onto a specially designed mirror. Mounted to a water-cooled heat sink, the mirror can handle laser radiation beyond 3 MW/cm^2. The properties of the adaptive optical element including the maximum correctable wavefront pitch of 800 nm are discussed. The successful implementation in a multipass thin disk amplifier is presented. An improvement of the beam quality by a factor of three is achieved. We identify measures to enhance the performance of the adaptive optic towards efficient operation in a high-power laser system.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1806.10796,
title = {Laser-controlled adaptive optic for beam quality enhancement in a multipass thin disk amplifier},
author = {Richard Lange and Daniel Kolbe},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1806.10796},
year = {2018}
}