Influence of spherical aberrations on the performance of dynamically stable resonators

Spherical aberrations of thermal lens of the active media are severe when the solid state lasers are strongly pumped. The aberrations influence the mode profile, the diffraction loss, the output power and other laser beam properties, especially for a dynamically stable resonator with large TEM₀₀-mode volume. Self-consistent modes in a resonator with aberrations are calculated using Fox-Li diffraction iterative algorithm. There are side lobes with the fundamental mode when the spherical aberration is introduced, hence the beam quality is deteriorated. The calculated results agree well with the experimental data. The beam filling factor plays an important role in the design of a laser system. The optimum value of the beam filling factor should be determined by the experimental results according to the spherical aberration effect.     

热透镜的球差效应对大基模体积激光谐振腔模式的影响

固体激光器在强抽运的条件下,激光晶体热透镜的球差效应是不容忽视的,尤其是在大基模体积的动态稳定腔中,会影响谐振腔的振荡模式,进而影响腔内损耗和输出功率.通过Fox-Li的衍射迭代算法,分析了谐振腔的自再现模,表明在热透镜球差效应作用下,基模的光强分布出现了旁瓣,并由此带来了光束质量的下降,最后通过实验结果验证了理论分析,指出光束填充因子是激光器设计的一个重要因素,其最佳值需要根据球差效应的强弱,通过实验的方法来确定. 关键词： 热透镜 球差效应 谐振腔模式     

High precision Zernike modal gray map reconstruction for liquid crystal corrector

This paper proposes a new Zernike modal gray map reconstruction algorithm used in the nematic liquid crystal adaptive optics system. Firstly, the new modal algorithm is described. Secondly, a single loop correction experiment was conducted, and it showed that the modal method has a higher precision in gray map reconstruction than the widely used slope method. Finally, the contrast close-loop correction experiment was conducted to correct static aberration in the laboratory. The experimental results showed that the average peak to valley (PV) and root mean square (RMS) of the wavefront corrected by mode method were reduced from 2.501\lambda (\lambda =633~nm) and 0.610\lambda to 0.0334\lambda and 0.00845\lambda , respectively. The corrected PV and RMS were much smaller than those of 0.173\lambda and 0.048\lambda by slope method. The Strehl ratio and modulation transfer function of the system corrected by mode method were much closer to diffraction limit than with slope method. These results indicate that the mode method can take good advantage of the large number of pixels of the liquid crystal corrector to realize high correction precision.     

输出环状光束的新型激光谐振腔

提出一种输出环状光束的新型激光谐振腔,即在稳定激光谐振腔中采用外环耦合方式得到环状光束的输出。利用For-Li数值迭代算法求解此类激光谐振腔的积分方程,通过计算机编程计算了平面一凹球面稳定谐振腔的输出端平面镜在不同半径的情况下,谐振腔镜面上和衍射耦合输出场基模的振幅和相位分布。计算结果预示了当输出端平面镜半径小于通常的稳定腔的基模半径时,衍射耦合输出场有稳定的环状光束输出。实验中TEA CO2激光器采用印刷电路板预电离结构,增益长度90cm,腔长5m,球面全反射镜曲率半径20m,输出端平面镜半径4．5mm,得到了内环半径为4．5mm、外环半径为5．5mm的基模环形光斑输出。从而在理论上和实验上证实了该方案产生环状光束的可行性。     

光纤环形谐振腔的频率锁定及其特性

基于可调分束比的光纤分束器,制作了光纤环形谐振腔并通过调节分束比实现了对光纤环形谐振腔的欠耦合、临界耦合和过耦合的状态控制.实验测量了腔最小反射率与腔损耗之间的关系,获得光纤环形谐振腔的腔内衰减率为κ_0=2π×(1.60±0.03) MHz ,品质因子为Q=(1.10±0.02)×10.8.在此基础上,结合了压电陶瓷拉伸光纤以控制腔长和Pound-Drever-Hall锁频两大技术优势,克服了之前温度反馈控制等方法的反馈带宽窄、噪声大和稳定性差等问题,实现了对光纤环形谐振腔共振频率的快速、灵敏的控制和锁定.结果表明,锁频过程中相位调制功率与相位调制引起腔反射光的强度调制之间的关系为线性关系,进而通过降低相位调制信号的功率以减小相位调制对腔反射光强度调制的影响.当调制功率设定最低为–9 dBm时,光纤环形谐振腔仍能被稳定锁定.该光纤环形谐振腔为其与原子、金刚石色心等发光粒子相互作用的腔量子电动力学实验研究奠定了坚实的基础.     

微变形镜内腔补偿激光模式畸变研究

 采用Fox-Li迭代方法，对畸变相差以Zernike多项式展开，计算了不同菲涅耳数的谐振腔在畸变发生时的低阶输出模式，分析了激光器谐振腔内畸变对激光输出模式的影响。对微变形镜的面形以Zernike多项式进行拟合，计算了中心电极的影响函数，并建立了微变形镜控制模型。实验上将微变形镜作为激光器的一个腔镜，验证了微变形镜对激光输出模式的补偿作用。结果表明，内腔微变形镜对激光输出模式具有校正作用，激光基本上可以达到基模输出。     

腔内倾斜扰动对正支共焦腔本征模式的影响

针对激光器出光过程中腔内像差扰动带来的光束质量下降问题，分析了正支共焦腔腔内不同位置倾斜扰动对本征模式的影响，采用数值迭代法计算了理想状态及腔内不同位置倾斜扰动状态下的本征模式、相位Zernike像差拟合系数.结果表明：对大小给定的扰动，相位相对敏感性从凸面镜到凹面镜逐渐增加，且腔模倾斜像差增大的同时还将导致离焦、像散等高阶像差的增大，因此作腔内补偿时，应使补偿平面尽可能靠近凹面镜.     

放电型高增益KrF激光器非稳腔的研究

给出了放电型高增益非稳腔KrF激光器具有衍射极限的激光模式建立的时间与非稳腔放大率和腔长之间的关系。实验对放大率M=8,腔长L=1.75m和放大率M=13.3,腔长L=1.85m的正支共焦非稳腔在不同增益下输出光的发散角进行了测量。充电电压为30kV,发散角分别是39倍衍射极限和33倍衍射极限。当充电电压降至26kV,即降低腔内介质的增益时,它们的发散角分别是20倍和5倍衍射极限。表明了具有衍射极限的模式建立时间受放大率、腔长以及饱和效应的影响。要得到衍射极限光,其衍射极限光的建立时间必须小于饱和时间。     

高能激光光束质量β因子的影响因素分析

采用二维线性调频z变换算法,分析了影响高能激光系统光束质量β因子测量准确性的因素。本文详细分析了采样点数(即衍射极限内的采样点数)和衍射光斑图像的能量损失率对光束质量β因子的影响。在衍射极限角直径2(λ/D)范围内不同采样点数的模拟结果表明:采样点数越高,光斑衍射图像的分辨率越高,进而光束质量β因子计算越准确。在一倍衍射极限角2.44(λ/D)范围内应最低不少于10个采样点,即可将β因子的测量误差控制在3%。同时,不同像差对光斑图像能量损失率的敏感程度不同,相同能量损失率下,高阶像差的β因子测量误差要高于低阶像差。特别是球差类的像差对能量损失最为敏感,约5%的能量损失就可带来15%~30%的β因子计算误差。     

全固态激光器的热近半球面腔

理论与实验研究了激光二极管侧泵平-平非对称腔.理论分析表明,当谐振腔运行于热稳区边缘时,激光棒内基模半径随泵浦功率迅速增加,使光束质量快速提高并保持较高的输出功率.由于该谐振腔运行于热稳区边缘的特性与近半球面腔相近,所以将此设计称为热近半球面腔.与运行于稳区边缘的平-平对称腔相比,热近半球面腔设计有助于缩短谐振腔腔长.在对热近半球面腔实验研究中,光束质量随泵浦功率迅速增加以及输出功率饱和现象被观察,实验研究与理论分析吻合较好.     

High-power non-astigmatic TEM<Subscript>00</Subscript> and vortex mode generation in a compact bounce laser design

A novel design of a diode-side-pumped bounce amplifier laser is described that can produce a high-power TEM₀₀ mode and Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) vortex mode operation with high circularity and low astigmatism. The design utilises control of pump size and bounce angle such that the laser mode experiences substantially circular symmetric gain and spherical thermal lensing, in a highly compact fundamental mode resonator. In a simple plane–plane Nd:YVO₄ laser resonator with no other optical components and total length of just 13.4 cm, highly circularised TEM₀₀ operation is produced at wavelength 1064 nm, with 14.2 W of power and high beam quality M ²<1.05. Stable Q-switched TEM₀₀ operation is demonstrated up to 900 kHz and second harmonic power of 7.2 W at 532 nm is generated with conversion efficiency up to 64%. Minor modification of the design to exploit the spherical aberration of the thermal lens is shown to allow for generation of a doughnut-shaped LG vortex mode with average power 16.6 W, maintaining extremely low astigmatism. Q-switched operation of the vortex mode is accomplished up to 400 kHz. A detailed numerical thermal analysis of the amplifier design is performed and gives quantitative agreement with experimental results.     

Circular modes selection in Yb:YAG laser using an intracavity lens with spherical aberration

The possibility of use of ordinary short-focus lenses with strong spherical aberration for mode selection in a laser resonator is demonstrated. Plano-convex spherical lenses with foci from 2.5 to 10.0 cm placed inside the resonator of the CW laser diode pumped Yb:YAG laser were used to select circular modes of Laguerre-Gauss and Bessel-Gauss type, or to get ring-like, multi-mode off-axis oscillations with variable inner and outer diameters of rings. At the constant pump power mode selection was obtained by shifting an intracavity lens along the resonator axis relative to the Yb:YAG ceramics active element of 1.1 mm thickness. Peaked and hollow multi-ring beams with output power up to 30 mW were produced. Near diffraction free (ndf) propagation of the central part (minimum or maximum) of these beams was observed along distances over 10 m from the resonator output coupler. The mechanisms of mode selection due to spherical aberration in the resonator and ndf propagation of output beams are considered. The possibility of producing radially polarized beams from the laser with an intracavity lens and possible applications of the devised laser scheme are discussed.     

相位共轭谐振腔改善激光器波前像差特性研究

在高功率激光器中采用相位共轭谐振腔技术可以补偿动态波前像差,在校正畸变的输出光束方面有极其重要的应用。分析了相位共轭腔的模式结构特性及稳定性,在实际高功率激光器中采用相位共轭谐振腔,使得激光系统的光束质量得到了极大改善。通过实验数据分析,提出在激光器系统中描述光束质量只用PV值和RMS值来量度是不足的,并利用结合光束环围能量分布图像和平均离焦系数来评价系统光束质量。实验结果表明,采用相位共轭谐振腔使得焦平面环围能量更为集中,同时平均离焦系数更接近零,结合上述方法评价系统光束质量更具实际意义。     

Simulation study of the two-time intensity correlation function of a two-mode laser system with both pump and quantum noises

This paper investigates the two-time intensity correlation function of a two-mode ring laser system subjected to both pump and quantum noises by stochastic simulation. It finds that the decay rate of the intensity correlation function of one mode gets faster with decreasing values of relevant parameters, i.e., the coupling constant ξ, the cross-correlation coefficient λ , the difference of the pump parameters Δa and the pump parameter a₁; however, its variations get complex in the other mode when relevant parameters are changed. The investigating results also show that the effects of the mode competition on intensity correlation function are obvious.     

Simulated human eye retina adaptive optics imaging system based on a liquid crystal on silicon device

In order to obtain a clear image of the retina of model eye, an adaptive optics system used to correct the wave-front error is introduced in this paper. The spatial light modulator that we use here is a liquid crystal on a silicon device instead of a conversional deformable mirror. A paper with carbon granule is used to simulate the retina of human eye. The pupil size of the model eye is adjustable (3--7mm). A Shack-Hartman wave-front sensor is used to detect the wave-front aberration. With this construction, a value of peak-to-valley is achieved to be 0.086Λ, where Λ is wavelength. The modulation transfer functions before and after corrections are compared. And the resolution of this system after correction (69lp/m) is very close to the diffraction limit resolution. The carbon granule on the white paper which has a size of 4.7μm is seen clearly. The size of the retina cell is between 4 and 10μm. So this system has an ability to image the human eye's retina.     

双层耦合介质中四边形图灵斑图的数值研究

采用双层线性耦合Lengyel-Epstein模型,在二维空间对简单正四边和超点阵四边形进行了数值分析.结果表明:当两子系统波数比N1时,随耦合强度的增大,基模的波矢空间共振形式发生改变,系统由简单六边形自发演化为结构复杂的新型斑图,除已报道的超六边形外,还获得了简单正四边和多种超点阵四边形,包括大小点、点线、白眼和环状超四边等斑图.当耦合系数α和β在一定范围内同步增大时,两子系统形成相同波长的Ⅰ型简单正四边;当α和β不同步增大时,由于两图灵模在短波子系统形成共振,系统斑图经相变发生Ⅰ型正四边→Ⅱ型正四边→超点阵四边形的转变;当系统失去耦合作用时,短波子系统波长为λ的Ⅰ型正四边斑图迅速失稳并形成波长为λ/N的Ⅰ型正四边,随模拟时间的延长,两子系统中不同波长的正四边均会经相变发生Ⅰ型正四边→Ⅱ型正四边→六边形的转变.     

神光II升级装置波前传输计算模型与验证

基于衍射理论和神光II升级激光装置的光路结构及光学元件波前像差,建立了激光装置光束波前像差传输计算模型,用以获取在实验中难以取得,但对激光系统设计和安全运行非常重要的变形镜校正面型、放大器动态波前像差、空间滤波器波前像差和焦斑形态等过程数据。利用该模型对激光装置常规运行时的静态传输、变形镜加压静态传输和大能量发射3种状态下的波前传输进行理论分析,计算结果与实验测量相一致,并在此基础上对变形镜未加压大能量发射波前传输进行计算。计算模型可用于指导相关器件的设计,优化激光运行控制模式,有利于提高激光装置输出波前质量。     

Application of optical diffraction method in designing phase plates

Continuous phase plate(CPP),which has a function of beam shaping in laser systems,is one kind of important diffractive optics.Based on the Fourier transform of the Gerchberg-Saxton(G-S) algorithm for designing CPP,we proposed an optical diffraction method according to the real system conditions.A thin lens can complete the Fourier transform of the input signal and the inverse propagation of light can be implemented in a program.Using both of the two functions can realize the iteration process to calculate the near-field distribution of light and the far-field repeatedly,which is similar to the G-S algorithm.The results show that using the optical diffraction method can design a CPP for a complicated laser system,and make the CPP have abilities of beam shaping and phase compensation for the phase aberration of the system.The method can improve the adaptation of the phase plate in systems with phase aberrations.     

超高斯光束抽运调Q固体激光器仿真模型研究

仿真计算一直是研究激光器的重要手段,而激光理论是仿真计算的基础.虽然半经典激光理论能够精确地描述激光的产生过程,但是其复杂性导致仿真需要庞大的计算资源和计算时间.为了能够更加高效地对激光器进行仿真,提出了一种调Q固体激光器的仿真模型.基于此模型,研究了影响主动调Q激光产生过程的因素.这些因素包括抽运功率、抽运光分布和模式竞争.仿真计算结果与对照实验测量数据相符合,说明了模型的有效性.     

高功率二极管泵浦激光模块的热致球差

 为获得高功率高光束质量的激光器,对激光器中的热致球差进行了研究。介绍了高功率二极管泵浦Nd:YAG棒激光模块热致球差的测量和补偿方法。使用S-H波前探测器测量了激光模块的三阶球差,设计了补偿系统对激光模块的球差进行了补偿,并对补偿前后的各阶像差进行了分析。在主振功放(MOPA)系统中使用球差补偿系统,工作电流110 A时,光束质量平方因子从9.2提高到6.4。实验结果表明球差补偿系统能消除激光模块的的三阶球差,而且不会引起其它像差的增大,提高了激光器光束质量。