Coherent beam combining of hybrid phase control in master oscillator-power amplifier configuration

A novel scalable architecture for coherent beam combining with hybrid phase control involving passive phasing and active phasing in master oscillator-power amplifier configuration is presented. Wide-linewidth mutually injected passive phasing fibre laser arrays serve as master oscillators for the power amplifiers, and the active phasing using stochastic parallel gradient descent algorithm is induced. Wide-linewidth seed laser can suppress the stimulated Brillouin scattering effectively and improve the output power of the fibre laser amplifier, while hybrid phase control provides a robust way for in-phase mode coherent beam combining simultaneously. Experiment is performed by active phasing fibre laser amplifiers with passive phasing fibre ring laser array seed lasers. Power encircled in the main-lobe increases1.57 times and long-exposure fringe contrast is obtained to be 78% when the system evolves from passive phasing to hybrid phasing.     

Status of single-model optical fiber standardization in the electronic industries association (EIA)

This paper introduces and analyzes revolutionary laser system architecture capable of dramatically reducing the complexity of laser systems while simultaneously increasing capability. The architecture includes three major subsystems. The first is a phased array of laser sources. In this article, we discuss diode-pumped fiber lasers as the elements of the phased array, although other waveguide lasers can also be considered. The second provides wavefront control and electronics beam steering, as described in an IEEE Proceedings article on “Optical Phased Array Technology” [1]. The third is subaperture receiver technology. Combining these three technologies into a new laser systems architecture results in a system that has graceful degradation, can steer to as wide an angle as individual optical phased array subapertures, and can be scaled to high power and large apertures through phasing of a number of subapertures. Diode-pumped fiber lasers are appealing as laser sources because they are electrically pumped, efficient, relatively simple, and scalable to significant power levels (over 100 Watts has been demonstrated from a single diode-pumped fiber laser) [2]. The fiber laser design also lends itself to integration into a phased array. Fiber lasers have been phased. Initial phasing demonstrations have been at low power and were conducted by taking a single source, dividing it into multiple fibers, then phasing them together. To develop this technology further we need to use independent fiber lasers or fiber amplifiers, seeded by a common source, and to increase laser power. As we increase laser power, we will have to learn to cope with nonlinearities in the laser amplifiers. Optical Phased Array technology has demonstrated steering over a 90-degree field of regard [4], although this approach used additional optical components. If we use straightforward optical phased array beam steering without additional optics we can steer with high efficiency to about one-third λ/d, where d is the smallest individually addressable element. The one-third factor depends on the efficiency threshold. For example, if we use 1.5 μm light, and 5 μm center-to-center spacing, we can steer with high efficiency to about ±6 degrees, or a field of regard of 12 degrees. Last, we need to develop a subaperture receive technology. This can be a pupil plane receiver, an image plane receiver, or some combination of the approaches. When we have matured each individual technology and combined them into new laser systems architectures, we will have the ability to build simpler and more capable laser systems. The vision for an integrated, phased array laser concept is to enable a new class of laser systems with significant advantages, including high-efficiency, all-electric laser source; all waveguide beam transport; wavefront control at the sub-aperture level (enabling wavefront compensation, conformal apertures, and wide-angle electronic beam steering); random access beam pointing over wide angles; multiple simultaneous beam generation and control; and graceful degradation.     

Synchronization and coherent combining of two pulsed fiber lasers

We demonstrate a scalable architecture for coherent combining of pulsed fiber lasers.A new method for generating synchronous pulsed fiber lasers by direct phase modulation is proposed and investigated.It is shown that phase modulated mutually coupled laser array can be a steady synchronous pulsed fiber laser source.The synchronous pulsed fiber lasers are coherently combined with an invariable phase difference of π in adjacent lasers.Neither active phase control nor polarization control is taken in our experiment.     

高功率光纤激光阵列被动相干组束技术研究

对高功率光纤激光的被动相干组束技术进行了理论和实验研究.介绍了几种典型的被动相干组束技术,并对其功率可提升性进行了分析.详细报道了课题组在光反馈环形腔结构光纤激光相干组束方面的研究进展,研究分析了该相干组束技术的输出光谱特性和路数可提升性,建立了4路和8路高功率光纤放大器的相干组束系统,并分别实现了1062和1090W...     

Propagation of partially coherent partially phase-locked laser array in turbulent atmosphere

The mechanism for beam quality degradation in recently developed phase locking of high power solid state lasers, which is caused mainly by partially coherent property of element beam and partially phase locking of the laser array, is analyzed in detail. Analytical expression for propagation of partially coherent partially phase-locked laser array in turbulent atmosphere is obtained based on extended Huygens-Fresnel principle. The effect of coherence width, phase error and intensity of turbulence on the beam quality in the target-plane is studied in detail. The tolerance on phase error for laser array with different coherence property is analyzed. It is concluded that the laser array with better coherence is more sensitive to turbulence, and phase control can improve beam quality in the receiving plane only in the case when the element beam has good beam quality and propagates in weak turbulence.     

Experimental research on application of Hartmann micro-lens array in coherent beam combination of two-dimensional laser array

We demonstrate experimentally the application of a phase error detection method in the coherent beam combination (CBC) of a laser array. The method is based on the Hartmann micro-lens array. Both the piston and tilt errors can be detected and corrected simultaneously by combining this method with adaptive optics-correcting technology. The far-field intensity pattern of the combined beam has high energy concentration and good beam quality. The power encircled in the main lobe of the far-field pattern is 41.3%, and the contrast of the pattern reaches 81.8%. Experimental results show the great potential of the Hartmann phasing method for use in the CBC of a large number of laser beams.     

Diffractive-optics-based beam combination of a phase-locked fiber laser array

A diffractive optical element (DOE) is used as a beam combiner for an actively phase-locked array of fiber lasers. Use of a DOE eliminates the far-field sidelobes and the accompanying loss of beam quality typically observed in tiled coherent laser arrays. Using this technique, we demonstrated coherent combination of five fiber lasers with 91% efficiency and M2=1.04. Combination efficiency and phase locking is robust even with large amplitude and phase fluctuations on the input laser array elements. Calculations and power handling measurements suggest that this approach can scale to both high channel counts and high powers.     

高功率光纤激光的时间部分相干性对相干合成的影响

 将多个光纤激光器的输出光束进行相干合成是获得高功率、高光束质量激光的有效途径。利用准部分相干光(PPCB)模型，计算了高功率光纤激光器阵列发出的部分相干光在远场的能量分布，分析了激光的时间部分相干性对相干合成的影响。计算结果表明，随着单根激光器输出光束线宽的增大，远场光斑的图样基本保持不变，但峰值功率和Strehl比随之减小。对于采用的算例，要保证远场光斑的Strehl比大于0.8，单根光纤激光器的线宽不能超过5 nm。     

Numerical and experimental study on coherent beam combining of fibre amplifiers using simulated annealing algorithm

We present the numerical and experimental study on the coherent beam combining of fibre amplifiers by means of simulated annealing (SA) algorithm. The feasibility is validated by the Monte Carlo simulation of correcting static phase distortion using SA algorithm. The performance of SA algorithm under time-varying phase noise is numerically studied by dynamic simulation. It is revealed that the influence of phase noise on the performance of SA algorithm gets stronger with an increase in amplitude or frequency of phase noise; and the laser array that contains more lasers will be more affected from phase noise. The performance of SA algorithm for coherent beam combining is also compared with a widely used stochastic optimization algorithm, i.e., the stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) algorithm. In a proof-of-concept experiment we demonstrate the coherent beam combining of two 1083~nm fibre amplifiers with a total output power of 12~W and 93% combining efficiency. The contrast of the far-field coherently combined beam profiles is calculated to be as high as 95%.     

Synchronization and coherent addition of three pulsed fiber lasers by mutual injection and phase modulation

The coherent beam addition of pulsed fiber lasers is an effective way to improve the average power and the peak pulse power. We demonstrate a new architecture based on mutual injection and phase modulation to generate synchronous pulsed fiber lasers. Firstly, we realize the synchronization of the pulses of three fiber lasers using this technique. Secondly, coherent addition of three synchronous pulsed fiber lasers is obtained. Experimental results show that the three fiber lasers are phase locked and have good temporal and spatial coherence under mutual injection locking. This method can be extended to combine more beams.     

产生钠导引星星群的钠信标激光合/分束技术

研究了脉冲光束的偏振和时序非相干合成技术,通过偏振合束器将两路50 W级500 Hz的589 nm钠信标激光在空间上合为一束光线,成功突破了100 W级μs脉冲全固态钠信标激光输出;利用脉冲激光同步延时器控制两路激光脉冲的时序,使其按先后顺序合成一束脉冲激光,重复频率提升到1 kHz。合束后的激光光束质量M²约为1.41,与单光束的光束质量基本保持一致,光斑抖动性约为40μrad,可满足激光钠导引星自适应光学系统的应用需求。与传统的相干合成方法相比,该偏振和时序非相干合成方案具有结构简单、稳定、效率高的优点,且整个系统无需复杂的相位控制机制,为脉冲激光功率扩展提供了新途径。基于上述技术基础,结合自主提出的精密偏振分光专利技术,在丽江天文台通过一台发射望远镜将四束25 W/束的μs脉冲黄激光发射到钠层,成功产生了四颗钠导引星,这一结果将有助于推动大型地基光学望远镜中多层共轭自适应光学技术的发展。     

半导体激光器在激光遥控制导中的空间耦合

针对高功率脉冲半导体激光器的远场特点,及激光制导对激光功率密度和光斑均匀性的要求,给出多孔径空间耦合方案并对其优点进行理论分析;针对纳米叠层芯片高功率半导体激光器偏振特性,基于偏振复用的原理,进行2支高功率半导体阵列激光器的偏振合束研究。通过试验得出结论:偏振耦合后系统输出光功率几乎2倍于单个激光器输出功率,采用多孔径耦合及偏振耦合均能满足遥控制导光斑要求。     

多光束激光远场干涉实验研究

设计了多组多孔径光阑,将激光扩束后通过自制的多孔径光阑,获得多光束相干激光光源.基于多光束干涉理论,通过改变不同的光阑,得到多组点状阵列分布的远场干涉图样,结果表明远场中心主瓣具有随着占空比减小能量降低、旁瓣增多的分布规律.实验结果表明,相干源呈正三角形分布时能量集中度较好.对高功率激光相干合成具有一定的参考意义.     

两路120 W固体激光高光束质量相干合成

通过主动相位控制实现了两路固体激光器的高光束质量相干合成输出,总输出功率达到240W。建立了两路120W板条激光放大器,通过光束整形获得了高光束质量方形光斑,并实现了高占空比光束拼接,填充因子高于92.4%。研制了光轴一致性探测与控制系统,采用基于压电陶瓷的快反镜实现了光轴的高精度闭环控制,两束激光光轴一致性优于2μrad(RMS)。设计了基于现场可编程门阵列(FPGA)的相位探测与控制系统,用随机并行梯度下降算法(SPGD)锁定了两束激光的活塞相位。相位闭环后,远场光斑峰值提高到开环状态的1.7倍,为理想值的84%。合成光束主瓣包含67%的激光总能量,光束质量(BQ)为1.1。     

不同波形脉冲激光的时域误差对相干合成的影响

相干合成技术是实现高功率、高亮度光纤激光系统的重要技术途径.然而, 脉冲激光阵列中常常存在时域误差,这将影响脉冲激光的相干合成效果. 建立了脉冲激光存在时域误差时的相干合成理论模型,并在不同波形(方波、三角波、正弦波) 的脉冲激光存在时域误差时,对相干合成光束在远场的脉冲波形、峰值功率、 光强分布和桶中功率(PIB)等特性进行了数值计算和对比分析.计算结果表明: 方波脉冲激光相干合成光束的脉冲波形受时域误差影响严重,光强分布和PIB随着时域误差 的增大发生线性变化;三角波脉冲激光相干合成光束的脉冲波形和峰值功率受时域误差 影响严重,光强分布和PIB在时域误差较大时随着时域误差的增大发生较为剧烈的变化; 正弦波脉冲激光相干合成光束具有较好的输出特性,在两路正弦波脉冲激光相干合成中, 将两脉冲之间的时延控制在脉冲持续时间的10%以内,就能取得良好的合成效果.     

Efficient improvement of laser beam quality by coherent combining in an improved Michelson cavity

The efficient improvement of laser beam quality is demonstrated by coherent combining of two Nd:YVO4 lasers in an improved Michelson cavity. When the two lasers are separately operated with beam qualities of M(x)2 = 1.74 and M(y)2 = 1.34 for laser 1 and M(x)2 = 1.53 and M(y)2 = 1.39 for laser 2, by coherent combining of the two lasers, a single beam output exceeding 2 W with a nearly perfect TEM00 mode (M(x)2 = 1.08, M(y)2 = 1.04) is obtained. Moreover, it can withstand environmental perturbations with no change in beam quality or output power and has the potential for scaling to much higher output power with high beam quality by coherent addition of multiple lasers in this configuration.     

Experimental demonstration of coherent beam combining over a 7 km propagation path

We demonstrate coherent combining (phase locking) of seven laser beams emerging from an adaptive fiber-collimator array over a 7 km atmospheric propagation path using a target-in-the-loop (TIL) setting. Adaptive control of the piston and the tip and tilt wavefront phase at each fiber-collimator subaperture resulted in automatic focusing of the combined beam onto an unresolved retroreflector target (corner cube) with precompensation of quasi-static and atmospheric turbulence-induced phase aberrations. Both phase locking (piston) and tip-tilt control were performed by maximizing the target-return optical power using iterative stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) techniques. The performance of TIL coherent beam combining and atmospheric mitigation was significantly increased by using an SPGD control variation that accounts for the round-trip propagation delay (delayed SPGD).     

基于随机并行梯度下降算法的多波长激光相干合成

由于受到受激布里渊散射(SBS)等非线性效应的限制,单频激光放大器的功率在百瓦量级,以非单频激光多波长激光作为种子源能够有效地抑制SBS并提高放大器功率.与单频激光相干合成相比,非单频率、多波长激光的相干合成有望将输出激光功率成量级地提高.基于随机并行梯度下降(stochastic parallel gradient descent,SPGD)算法,实现了四波长激光的相干合成.在系统闭环时,四路多波长激光合成后的主瓣能量能够提高3倍,达到理想值的75%.验证了多波长、非单频激光相干合成的可行性,为高功率相干合成的发展提供了新的途径.     

基于公共环形腔耦合的光纤激光器相干合成技术

 为提高光纤激光器无源自调整相干合成阵列的效率、稳定性和可扩展性,提出了基于公共光纤环形腔耦合与单模光纤滤波的光纤激光器相干合成方案。将多个2×2的光纤耦合器分别插入各单元激光器的谐振腔,利用耦合器余下的端口,两两相连构成公共环形耦合腔。采用单模光纤滤波技术,提高了各输出激光束之间相位锁定的稳定性。利用该方案在实验上实现了三路光纤激光器的被动锁相输出,实验测得的远场干涉光斑、输出功率及光谱均表明该方案适于构建性能较好的光纤激光器相干合成阵列。     

光纤激光相控阵相干合成技术研究进展

主要介绍了近年来光纤激光相控阵相干合成技术的发展现状,总结了中国科学院光电技术研究所在这方面的最新研究成果,包括基于振幅调制的光纤激光相控阵相干合成能力优化、光纤激光相控阵实现收发一体相干合成、光纤激光相控阵的目标在回路相干合成、光纤激光相控阵在大气湍流下实现耦合接收光束的共相合束、基于多孔径波前探测的相干合成方法、基于自适应光纤准直器和微透镜阵列的光束大角度高精度连续寻址扫描等。以上研究工作将促进光纤激光相控阵技术朝向更多单元、更高功率、更远距离等方向演进,并推动其与激光大气传输、空间激光通信、自适应光学等理论和应用的结合与发展。