Polarization-independent two-dimensional beam steering using liquid crystal optical phased arrays

A polarization-independent nonmechanical laser beam steering scheme is proposed to realize continuous two-dimensional(2 D) scanning with high efficiency, where the core components are two polarization-dependent devices, which are called liquid crystal optical phased arrays(LC-OPAs). These two one-dimensional(1D) devices are orthogonally cascaded to work on the state of azimuthal and elevation steering, respectively. Properties of polarization independence as well as 2D beam steering are mathematically and experimentally verified with a good agreement. Based on the experimental setup, linearly polarized beams with different polarization angles are steered with high accuracy. The measured angular deviations are less than 5 μrad, which is on the same order of the accuracy of the measurement system. This polarization-independent 2 D laser beam steering scheme has potential application for nonmechanical laser communication, lidar, and other LC-based systems.     

Optimum beam steering of optical phased arrays using mixed weighting technique

In this paper, we present a novel technique for high precision optical beam steering of optical phased arrays (OPA) using mixed weighting method. Optimal OPA parameters are determined to obtain the best beam directivity by minimizing the main lobe width and eliminating grating lobes of the far field diffraction pattern. The quantitative analysis for a fibre-type optical phased array is given. The calculation results demonstrate that the grating lobe level can be distinctly reduced from 80% to 20% of the main lobe level. Thus, the mixed weighting technique proposed in this paper can substantially improve the beam steering efficiency and the beam quality.     

Light flowers from coherent vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser arrays

Emission of symmetric flower-shaped light patterns from coherently locked hexagonal vertical-cavity semiconductor laser arrays is reported. The flower patterns preserve their shape while propagating in free space. The emission of these unique light distributions is explained as being due to the combined effects of thermal lensing and the loss patterns employed for array definition. A theoretical model for strongly coupled arrays matches the results.     

Collimating of diverging laser diode beam using graded-index optical fiber

This paper presents a technique for collimating a diverging beam from a laser diode using graded-index optical fiber. The optical set-up is relatively simple and easy to operate. The results show that laser beam of large divergent angle in the range of 10–35° can be reduced to a fully collimated beam with a divergent angle of less than 0.05°. The theory of the method as well as some experimental results is presented.     

Measurement of the laser beam intensity distribution using optical tomography

Optical tomography is proposed as a method for studying the intensity distribution in the laser beam cross section. The tomographic projection of the beam cross section is obtained with the help of an optical fiber possessing a high radiation resistance, which makes it possible to employ this technique for studying high-power laser radiation. The results of tomographic reconstruction of the bean cross section from experimental projections are compared with the results of reconstruction from model projections.     

Nonlinear optical beam interactions in waveguide arrays

We report our investigation of Kerr nonlinear beam interactions in discrete systems. The influence of power and the relative phase between two Gaussian shaped beams was investigated in detail by performing numerical simulations of the discrete nonlinear Schr?dinger equation and comparing the results with experiments done in AlGaAs waveguide arrays. Good agreement between theory and experiment was obtained.     

Rows of optical vortices from elliptically perturbing a high-order beam

An optical vortex (phase singularity) with a high topological strength resides on the axis of a high-order light beam. The breakup of this vortex under elliptic perturbation into a straight row of unit-strength vortices is described. This behavior is studied in helical Ince-Gauss beams and astigmatic, generalized Hermite-Laguerre-Gauss beams, which are perturbations of Laguerre-Gauss beams. Approximations of these beams are derived for small perturbations, in which a neighborhood of the axis can be approximated by a polynomial in the complex plane: a Chebyshev polynomial for Ince-Gauss beams, and a Hermite polynomial for astigmatic beams.     

偏振态对激光相干合成的影响

为了研究光束相干合成中偏振态的特性,取理想矩形光束进行模拟分析。通过改变偏振态的退偏率、偏振态夹角、参与合成的子束数目等,观察光场在远场叠加的合成效果。讨论了这些因素对远场合成效果的光强分布、峰值功率密度、光束质量因子等的影响。模拟结果显示：当退偏率小于10%、偏振态夹角小于18时,合成后光束质量因子小于1.1。     

偏振态对激光相干合成的影响

为了研究光束相干合成中偏振态的特性,取理想矩形光束进行模拟分析。通过改变偏振态的退偏率、偏振态夹角、参与合成的子束数目等,观察光场在远场叠加的合成效果。讨论了这些因素对远场合成效果的光强分布、峰值功率密度、光束质量因子等的影响。模拟结果显示:当退偏率小于10%、偏振态夹角小于18时,合成后光束质量因子小于1.1。     

Flat-top laser beam generated by coherent beam combining of Gaussian lasers

We present a fiat-top laser beam generation scheme using coherent beam combining of hexagonally arranged Gaussian lasers. To produce a beam with a flat-top profile, we optimize the amplitude and phase of each unit laser using the least-square method. Simulation results show that with 13 unit lasers, a beam with the flatness of less than 1% in the optimizing region can be achieved. The main lobe contains over 95% of the total power. The scheme requires no external beam shaping element and has the potential to be designed for high-power applications.     

Speckle-metric-optimization-based adaptive optics for laser beam projection and coherent beam combining

Maximization of a projected laser beam's power density at a remotely located extended object (speckle target) can be achieved by using an adaptive optics (AO) technique based on sensing and optimization of the target-return speckle field's statistical characteristics, referred to here as speckle metrics (SM). SM AO was demonstrated in a target-in-the-loop coherent beam combining experiment using a bistatic laser beam projection system composed of a coherent fiber-array transmitter and a power-in-the-bucket receiver. SM sensing utilized a 50 MHz rate dithering of the projected beam that provided a stair-mode approximation of the outgoing combined beam's wavefront tip and tilt with subaperture piston phases. Fiber-integrated phase shifters were used for both the dithering and SM optimization with stochastic parallel gradient descent control.     

相干合成子光束一致性检测研究

分析了激光相干合成装置及其光路调整要求,提出利用剪切干涉检测合成光路中子光束一致性的方法。分析剪切干涉原理,建立了剪切板干涉物理模型,以相干合成中两路矩形光束拼接组束为例,数值模拟并研究了子光束的整体倾斜、离焦所对应的剪切干涉条纹,得到了条纹图像与子光束光轴误差、离焦误差之间的对应关系,用于相干合成光路中子光束光轴和发散角误差的判断。光轴倾斜大于5μrad时,可以直接观察互干涉和自干涉条纹变化,发散角在大于10μrad时,干涉条纹变化明显。此外,剪切干涉的自干涉条纹平移可用来检测子光束间的活塞误差,可作为光束拼接相干合成中闭环相位检测和控制的手段。     

相干合成子光束一致性检测研究

分析了激光相干合成装置及其光路调整要求,提出利用剪切干涉检测合成光路中子光束一致性的方法。分析剪切干涉原理,建立了剪切板干涉物理模型,以相干合成中两路矩形光束拼接组束为例,数值模拟并研究了子光束的整体倾斜、离焦所对应的剪切干涉条纹,得到了条纹图像与子光束光轴误差、离焦误差之间的对应关系,用于相干合成光路中子光束光轴和发散角误差的判断。光轴倾斜大于5 rad时,可以直接观察互干涉和自干涉条纹变化,发散角在大于10 rad时,干涉条纹变化明显。此外,剪切干涉的自干涉条纹平移可用来检测子光束间的活塞误差,可作为光束拼接相干合成中闭环相位检测和控制的手段。     

Near-diffraction-limited diode laser arrays by wavelength beam combining

We demonstrate 35 W output peak power with M2 approximately 1.35 in both dimensions from a 100 element, 100 microm pitch slab-coupled optical waveguide laser diode array using wavelength beam combining.     

High-resolution beam steering using microlens arrays

Imaging or beam-steering systems employing a periodic array of microlenses or micromirrors suffer from diffraction problems resulting from the destructive interference of the beam segments produced by the array. Simple formulas are derived for beam steering with segmented apertures that do not suffer from diffraction problems because of the introduction of a moving linear phase shifter such as a prescan lens before the periodic structure. The technique substantially increases the resolution of imaging systems that employ microlens arrays or micromirror arrays. Theoretical, numerical, and experimental results demonstrating the high-resolution imaging concept using microlens arrays are presented.     

用于共孔径相干合成的衍射光学元件设计

分析了衍射光学元件实现共孔径相干合成的物理过程,建立了基于衍射光学元件的共孔径相干合成数学模型,推导了合成光束复振幅与入射光束和衍射光学元件相位分布之间的关系。提出用合成光束强度分布的均匀性作为评价函数的优化方法,获得了一维衍射合束器的相位分布。与文献报道的衍射光学元件分束器相比,可获得更高的合成效率。采用模拟退火算法结合随机并行梯度下降算法优化合束器设计,提高了计算效率,获得了多束衍射合束器的相位分布和合成效率。分析了单子束失效及合束器像差对合成效率的影响,结果表明:随着合束数量的增加,单子束失效对合成效率的影响逐渐减小;若使合成效率退化小于5%,衍射光学元件的波像差均方根值应控制在λ/28以内。     

940 nm low beam divergence tapered window laser arrays

The structures of 940 nm low vertical beam divergence semiconductor lasers grown by molecular beam epitaxy are presented. The high power laser consists of an array of closely spaced tapered waveguides giving lower parallel beam divergence and window structure. The emission wavelength is 939 nm. The FWHM of the far field pattern is 8×30°. The maximum continuous wave (CW) output power of 30 W has been achieved. In the aging tests, the laser arrays have been operating for over 3000 h under the CW condition of 25 W.