Influence of thermal distortion in mirrors on the propagation of high power lasers

Ke Lv; Wei Zheng; Wei-hong Hua

doi:10.1117/12.958609

15 October 2012 Influence of thermal distortion in mirrors on the propagation of high power lasers

Ke Lv, Wei Zheng, Wei-hong Hua

Proceedings Volume 8417, 6th International Symposium on Advanced Optical Manufacturing and Testing Technologies: Optical Test and Measurement Technology and Equipment; 84171C (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.958609
Event: 6th International Symposium on Advanced Optical Manufacturing and Testing Technologies (AOMATT 2012), 2012, Xiamen, China

Abstract

The root-mean-square (RMS) phase distortion and the strehl ratio in the far-field influenced by the thermal distortion of mirrors in the propagation of high power lasers were calculated. Calculations with different CO₂ laser beam intensity distribution indicate that compare with stable cavity whose output is Gaussian, unstable cavity’s beam quality influenced by the thermal deformation depends on the slope of the intensity distribution, that is, contents of H₂O, and the obscuration. Among the mirror materials such as SiO₂, BeO, CaF₂ and Si, CaF₂ provides the steadiest thermal character in the high power laser irradiance. When the SiO₂ mirror is cooled, the RMS phase aberration brought by the thermal deformation would be less. For a high power mirror, cooled by the water is more efficacious than cooled by the wind.

Citation Download Citation

Ke Lv, Wei Zheng, and Wei-hong Hua "Influence of thermal distortion in mirrors on the propagation of high power lasers", Proc. SPIE 8417, 6th International Symposium on Advanced Optical Manufacturing and Testing Technologies: Optical Test and Measurement Technology and Equipment, 84171C (15 October 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.958609

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