基于线性调频脉冲的光谱色散平滑技术实验研究

在激光驱动惯性约束聚变研究中,束靶高效耦合依赖于采用合适的束匀滑措施.目前,结合光谱色散平滑(smoothing by spectral dispersion,简称SSD)、相位板和光束叠加的技术是固体激光驱动器采用的主流束匀滑技术.瞄准间接驱动,实验研究了一套基于线性调频脉冲的SSD技术.在采用该技术后,远场色散方向上的高频调制得到了匀滑,色散后的近场也得到了匀滑.测量得到的光谱结构与理论模拟接近.该方法不需要相位调制器,而这类器件在传统SSD技术中是一个关键器件.     

基于束间动态干涉的快速匀滑新方法

针对高功率激光装置中靶面辐照均匀性的高要求,提出了一种利用束间动态干涉改善辐照均匀性的快速匀滑方法.基本原理是利用共轭相位板阵列对存在一定波长差的多束激光附加相位调制,从而使各子束在远场两两相干叠加以产生动态的干涉图样,进而引起焦斑内部散斑的动态扫动,在ps时间内抹平不均匀性.以典型惯性约束聚变装置中的激光集束为例,通过建立基于束间动态干涉的快速匀滑物理模型,定量分析了相位板类型、相位调制幅度和束间波长差等因素对焦斑动态干涉图样的影响及规律,进而对其束匀滑特性进行了讨论.结果表明,基于束间动态干涉的快速匀滑方法可以有效地实现多方向、多维度的焦斑内部散斑快速扫动,且通过与传统束匀滑技术的联用,可以在更短的时间内达到更好的焦斑均匀性.     

利用消衍射透镜列阵及光谱色散平滑实现焦斑均匀辐照

提出将空间域的透镜列阵法和时间域的光谱色散平滑法结合起来实现靶面的均匀辐照. 消衍射型透镜列阵能获得边缘陡峭且顶部较平坦的准近场焦斑，光谱色散平滑则能有效地抹平焦斑内部由多光束干涉引起的细密条纹. 数值结果显示，通过该方案能获得均匀性较好的焦斑. 进一步分析了光谱色散平滑单元中位相调制和光栅的参数对辐照均匀性的影响，发现参数的选取要在焦斑均匀性和能量利用率之间取得合理平衡，以在整体上获得最佳的均匀辐照效果. 关键词： 光谱色散平滑 透镜列阵 衍射 多光束干涉     

基于波导相位调制器的光谱色散平滑技术实验研究

利用波导相位调制器产生的正弦调频脉冲进行了光谱色散平滑技术实验研究.结果表明该铌酸锂波导相位调制器可以容易地将DFB振荡器产生的单纵模信号展宽到0.1—1.5 nm,远场分析表明焦斑扫动规律与理论计算一致,近场分析表明SSD对近场百微米尺度的调制有显著改善.本研究为高功率激光装置束匀滑方案的优化提供了参考. 关键词： 远场 近场 光谱色散平滑 惯性约束聚变     

周期性啁啾脉冲色散衍射实现近场强度匀滑

 对惯性约束聚变（ICF）激光驱动器中的周期性啁啾脉冲光谱色散后的自由空间衍射传输和近场强度匀滑特性进行了理论分析和数值模拟,并计算了色循环数对两者的影响。计算结果表明：远场光斑随色循环数增加而变大,强度调制加剧;近场强度匀滑效果随色循环数和传输距离增加而增强,但空间形状变化加剧。通过匀滑效果对比发现,基于周期性啁啾脉冲的光谱色散平滑系统的近场强度匀滑效果优于传统的正弦调频光束。     

Research on target uniform irradiation method using linearly modulated light and special grating dispersion

In indirect-drive laser fusion research, filamentation instability (FI) severely influences laser injection efficiency and beam pointing accuracy in hohlraum. Experiments indicate that high frequency modulations on the far field of the laser driver are responsible for the filamentation. To solve this problem, a new smoothing technique is proposed using linear modulation and special grating dispersion. The linear modulation was realized by stacking a series of 100 ps chirped pulses in fiber delay lines. The temporal smoothing characteristics of the focal spot adopting star and circular grating dispersion were studied. Simulation results indicate that both kinds of grating investigated restrained the high frequency modulations. The star grating has a better smoothing effect when compared to circular grating. The insertion of the star grating could realize “color” variation across the beam in the azimuthal direction and make the far-field pattern rotate with time. Therefore, the time-integrated focal spot would be smoothed in a more comprehensive way. This smoothing method bears the advantage of simple configuration, two-dimensional angular spectral dispersion and not enlarging the far field too much.     

Intensity limits for propagation of 0.527 microm laser beams through large-scale-length plasmas for inertial confinement fusion

We have established the intensity limits for propagation of a frequency-doubled (2omega, 527 nm) high intensity interaction beam through an underdense large-scale-length plasma. We observe good beam transmission at laser intensities at or below 2x10(14) W/cm(2) and a strong reduction at intensities up to 10(15) W/cm(2) due to the onset of parametric scattering instabilities. We show that temporal beam smoothing by spectral dispersion allows a factor of 2 higher intensities while keeping the beam spray constant, which establishes frequency-doubled light as an option for ignition and burn in inertial confinement fusion experiments.     

Beam smoothing by lens array with spectral dispersion

A scheme of combining technology of lens array (LA) and smoothing by spectral dispersion (SSD) is introduced to improve the irradiation uniformity in laser fusion based on the earlier works on LA. The feasibility of the scheme is also analyzed by numerical simulation. It shows that a focal pattern with flat-top and sharp-edge profile could be obtained, and the irradiation nonuniformity can fall down from 14% with only LA to 3% with both SSD and LA. And this smoothing scheme is depended less on the incidence comparing to other smoothing methods. The preliminary experiment has demonstrated its effectiveness.     

采用透镜列阵与光谱色散改善三倍频小焦斑辐照均匀性

通过数值模拟研究了高功率激光驱动器的光束均匀辐照情况, 分析了三倍频激光辐照下小焦斑的光强分布及空间功率谱. 采用透镜列阵可降低光束近场畸变的影响并控制靶面焦斑的包络形状; 采用二维光谱色散匀滑技术可明显地消除焦斑内部大反衬度的强度调制, 且该方法在焦斑非常小的情况下也仍然有效. 大量的数值模拟结果表明, 光谱色散匀滑技术应用于尺寸不同的焦斑时, 其效果是有差异的. 对大焦斑而言, 光谱色散匀滑主要抹平其内部细密的条纹, 即消除中高空间频率范围的强度调制; 对小焦斑而言, 光谱色散匀滑主要消除中低空间频率范围的强度调制, 故将影响焦斑的整体包络形状. 本文所得的数值结果对间接驱动实验中激光束匀滑方案的选择和优化具有参考价值.     

Frequency-resolved coherent lidar using a femtosecond fiber laser

We demonstrate a coherent lidar that uses a broadband femtosecond fiber laser as a source and resolves the returning heterodyne signal into N spectral channels by using an arrayed-waveguide grating. The data are processed incoherently to yield an N-times improvement in the Doppler measurement of a surface vibration. For N=6, we achieve a sensitivity of 153 Hz, corresponding to a 0.12 mm/s motion, in 10 ms despite a signal that is speckle broadened to 14 kHz. Alternatively, the data are processed coherently to form a range image. For a flat target, we achieve a 60 microm range resolution, limited mainly by the source bandwidth, despite the dispersion of 1 km of optical fiber in the signal path.     

谱色散平滑与透镜列阵联用实现均匀照明

为满足激光惯性约束聚变中靶面激光辐照不均匀性低于5%的要求,在目前使用透镜列阵基础上,提出了谱色散平滑与透镜列阵联用方案,对其进行数值计算并分析其平滑效果和应用可行性。结果表明:焦斑的不均匀性从单独使用透镜列阵时的14%降低到与谱色散平滑结合后的3%;对焦斑点功率谱的分析表明谱色散平滑通过抑制焦斑中高频的频谱强度达到平滑效果。该方案可以进一步提高焦斑平滑效果,计算结果对实际应用有着重要的参考意义。     

径向偏振调制对聚焦光斑匀滑及偏振特性的影响

基于标量衍射理论建立了光谱色散平滑(SSD)、随机相位板(RPP)和偏振匀滑(PS)联用的光束匀滑方案数值仿真模型。以斑纹对比度和偏振度为主要评价参量,利用该模型研究了径向偏振调制的匀滑及消偏振特性。研究表明,径向偏振调制可以有效降低聚焦光斑斑纹对比度和偏振度。使用半波片拼接方式产生近似径向偏振光时,拼接单元数对匀滑及偏振特性影响较小,8片拼接的匀滑效果已与理想径向偏振光几乎一致。对比分析了径向偏振调制、正交偏振调制和双折射楔三种PS方式,结果表明,由于三种PS方式本质上的一致性,光束的匀滑及偏振特性差别较小。     

Research on beam smoothing characteristics using linearly modulated light

Precise physical experiments place strict requirements on target illumination uniformity. A new smoothing technology aimed at indirect-drive laser fusion is studied, which uses linearly modulated light and angular spectral dispersion (ASD). Simulation indicates that the best smoothing effect could be obtained when number of color cycles (N_c) is chosen to be 0.5 at 1.2 nm bandwidth. A table-top setup aimed at the experimental study of the beam smoothing method has been established. When the linearly modulated light generated by pulse stacking is dispersed by a grating with N_c=2.6, periodical undulations are found on the far-field focal spot, which agrees with the simulation results. To improve illumination uniformity, the N_c adopted should be decreased to 0.5. Simulation also indicates that the combination of linearly modulated light, angular spectral dispersion and a continuous phase plate could considerably improve the irradiation nonuniformity.     

Influence of laser wavelength on target irradiation uniformity

Target irradiation uniformity is very important in laser-produced plasmas experiments. The wavelength dependence of the irradiation uniformity is investigated in the joint scheme using a lens array (LA) and the technique of smoothing by spectral dispersion (SSD). It is proved that, for the long wavelength laser, lateral thermal conduction smoothing within the target is quite effective, while for the ultraviolet laser, SSD is the main smoothing mechanism. So SSD and other temporal smoothing methods are very necessary in producing uniform irradiation with laser beam of short wavelength.     

Speckle-pattern contrast of semiconductor laser propagating in a multimode optical fiber

Speckle patterns produced by coherent light from a GaA1As double-hetero-structure laser diode that has been transmitted through a multi-mode optical fiber are experimentally studied by analyzing the average contrast. It has been found that the speckle contrast observed in the far-field region is significantly lowered when the spectral width of a laser diode is as broad as a few tens of Angstroms.     

Two-dimensional beam smoothing by broadband random-phase irradiation

A new technique for two-dimensional smoothing is proposed to generate smooth laser irradiation profiles on laser fusion targets employing the broad bandwidth of KrF lasers. In this technique, a wedged etalon is used to get angular dispersion to the orthogonal direction to the one-dimensional broadband random-phase smoothing effect. The preliminary experiment has demonstrated its effectiveness.     

多频多色光谱角色散束匀滑新方案

典型的光谱角色散技术中,由于光束带宽受限于高效三倍频,因而无法通过增大带宽来进一步改善焦斑均匀性.结合对四色打靶方案和多级相位调制技术的综合分析,提出了多频、多色光谱角色散束匀滑新方案.该方案能在保持高效三倍频基础上,获得带宽有所加宽,光谱包络近似连续的光源,且在远场匀滑上具有更为独特的优势.结果表明,采用束匀滑新方案后,虽然焦斑会有所增大,但其均匀性却得到明显改善;与典型的束匀滑方案相比,该方案能更为有效地抑制热斑,且达到最佳匀滑效果所需的时间有所减短.此外,通过对阵列光栅中子光栅刻线方向的自由组合可以实现多维光谱角色散的效果.     

光谱色散后的相位调制光束衍射特性研究

用数值方法研究了激光驱动器系统中使用光谱色散平滑单元后光束的衍射特性.模拟结果表明，光谱色散会使光束衍射光斑变大，近场空间强度均匀性改善，而远场光斑内部存在光强接近于均匀分布的区域.进一步分析了光谱色散平滑单元中相位调制器的调制深度、调制频率及光栅色散系数等主要元件参数对光束传输特性的影响，发现在一定情况下光斑内部会出现较强的强度调制. 关键词： 光谱色散平滑 光束衍射 近场 远场     

Specific features of speckle structure formed by dispersed laser beams

The geometry of statistical average of intensity speckles formed by a broadband dispersed laser beam spatially coherent in initial plane z = 0 is studied theoretically. A computer simulation was used to obtain two-dimensional distributions of random intensity that provide a clear picture of the transformations experienced by the speckle structure upon laser beam propagation. Correlation functions and power spectra of random intensity are calculated in order to determine the characteristic size and shape of speckles as a function of longitudinal coordinate z, the width and shape of the frequency spectrum, and the degree of dispersion of the light beam. Analytical expressions that describe an increase in the speckle size along the beam axis and in the direction of beam dispersion as a function of distance from the initial plane are obtained. The ultimate (at z → ∞) width of speckles in the direction of beam dispersion is calculated.     

激光相干场成像散斑噪声复合去噪方法

噪声是影响激光相干场高分辨成像系统像质的重要因素,激光相干场成像系统既受背景光加性噪声影响,又受激光乘性散斑噪声影响.为解决激光相干场成像系统受激光乘性散斑噪声和背景光加性噪声叠加引起的成像像质退化效应问题,从噪声抑制角度提高激光相干场系统高分辨成像像质,研究建立了激光散斑乘性噪声和背景光加性噪声对大气下行链路激光回波场信号影响干扰模型,并基于该模型提出了一种基于同态滤波和稀疏基追踪级联复合去噪算法.首先基于同态滤波理论将激光乘性散斑噪声转化为加性噪声,再由高通滤波器滤除散斑噪声,最后采用基追踪稀疏理论方法抑制背景光等加性噪声对像质的影响.研究表明,较现有单一去噪方法,该级联复合去噪方法可一次性消除激光乘性散斑噪声和背景加性噪声两种不同性质的噪声,有效改善了激光相干场成像质量.