Adaptive phase distortion correction in strong speckle-modulation conditions

We introduce beam-quality metrics for adaptive wave-front control that permit estimation of the degree of laser beam energy concentration on a remotely located extended object based upon the backscattered wave intensity distribution at the receiver. A 37-control-channel adaptive optics system with phase correction of the output wave capable of operating in the presence of speckle-field-induced strong intensity modulation is presented. System operation is based on optimization of the speckle-field-based metric by the stochastic parallel gradient descent technique. Results demonstrate that adaptive wave-front correction using speckle-field-based beam-quality metrics can significantly improve laser beam concentration on extended objects.     

Beam cleanup of a 532-nm pulsed solid-state laser using a bimorph mirror

A successful beam cleanup of a 5-mJ/200-μs pulsed solid-state laser system operating at 532-nm wavelength is demonstrated. In this beam cleanup system, a wave-front sensor-less adaptive optics (AO) system is set up with a 20-element bimorph mirror (BM), a high-voltage amplifier, a charge-coupled device camera, and a control software implementing the stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) algorithm. The brightness of the laser focal spot is improved because the wave-front distortions have been compensated. The performance of this system is presented and the experimental results are analyzed.     

Optimization of high-order harmonic generation by adaptive control of a sub-10-fs pulse wave front

We present a method for the optimization of high-order harmonic generation based on wave-front correction of the driving laser beam. The technique exploits wave-front adaptive control by means of a deformable mirror, governed by an optimization procedure.     

内腔自适应光学系统校正激光器畸变

固体激光器中,增益介质由于热沉积产生的热畸变严重影响了激光器的稳定性、输出功率和光束质量。研究了一种内腔自适应光学系统校正激光器腔内畸变的方法,利用微机电变形反射镜作为固体激光器的内腔全反射镜,通过控制变形镜的面型改善激光器输出光束的模式及功率。从腔外引入的一束信标光通过激光器内腔后反射出腔外,用波前探测器可测得激光器工作时腔内畸变对此信标光的影响,并通过搭建的自适应光学系统平台可闭环校正此畸变。实验结果表明,闭环校正后,激光器的输出功率提高了近3倍,且激光光束质量得到了明显的改善。     

Optimization of low-order harmonic generation by exploitation of a resistive deformable mirror

The generation of harmonics from the interaction of an ultra-intense laser pulse and a gas jet is strongly influenced by the intensity and shape of the laser beam. In this work we present a sensor-less optimization procedure of the harmonics yield based on the use of an adaptive mirror. Because of the limited repetition rate of the laser source, we used a resistive actuator-deformable mirror which allows a rapid convergence to the optimal laser beam correction without a wave-front measurement. Our approach demonstrated that this kind of deformable mirror was able to enhance the harmonic yield by a factor of two in about 40 acquisitions.     

Free-space laser communications with adaptive optics: Atmospheric compensation experiments

Refractive index inhomogeneities of the turbulent air cause wave-front distortions of optical waves propagating through the atmosphere, leading to such effects as beam spreading, beam wander, and intensity fluctuations (scintillations). These distortions are responsible for severe signal fading in free-space optical communications systems and therefore compromise link reliability. Wave-front distortions can be mitigated, in principle, with adaptive optics, i.e., real-time wave-front control, reducing the likeliness of signal fading. However, adaptive optics technology, currently primarily used in astronomical imaging, needs to be adapted to the requirements of free-space optical communication systems and their specific challenges.In this chapter we discuss a non-conventional adaptive optics approach that has certain advantages with respect to its incorporation into free-space optical communication terminals. The technique does not require wave-front measurements, which are difficult under the strong scintillation conditions typical for communication scenarios, but is based on the direct optimization of a performance quality metric, e.g., the communication signal strength, with a stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) algorithm.We describe an experimental adaptive optics system that consists of a beam-steering and a higher-resolution wave-front correction unit with a 132-actuator MEMS piston-type deformable mirror controlled by a VLSI system implementing the SPGD algorithm. The system optimizes the optical signal that could be coupled into a single-mode fiber after propagating along a 2.3-km near-horizontal atmospheric path. We investigate characteristics of the performance metric under different atmospheric conditions and evaluate the effect of the adaptive system. Experiments performed under strong scintillation conditions with beam-steering only as well as with higher-resolution wave-front control demonstrate the mitigation of wave-front distortions and the reduction of signal fading.     

Spectral Beam Combining of Fiber Lasers by Using Reflecting Volume Bragg Gratings

By employing three reflecting volume Bragg gratings,a near-infrared 4-channel spectral-beam-combining system is demonstrated to present 720 W combined power with a combining efficiency of 94.7%.The combined laser beam is near-diffraction-limited with a beam factor M~2~1.54.During this 4-channel beam-combining process,no special active cooling measures are used to evaluate the volume Bragg gratings as combining elements are under the higher power laser operation.Thermal expansion and period distortion are verified in a 2kW 2-channel beam-combining process,and the heat issue in the transmission case is found to be more remarkable than that in the diffraction case.Transmitted and diffracted beams experience wave-front aberrations with different degrees,thus leading to distinct beam deterioration.     

基于分区域耦合的随机并行梯度下降自适应光学

基于随机并行梯度下降(SPGD)方法的自适应光学(AO)系统通过直接优化系统的性能评价函数来控制波前校正器以补偿光束中存在的波前畸变。为了提高这种无模型优化自适应光学系统的收敛速度, 提出了基于分区域耦合的新方法以改进传统随机并行梯度下降自适应光学系统的工作方式。将波前校正器光学孔径分成多块子区域, 每块子区域对应着的所有驱动器作为一个整体控制单元, 从形式上可以得到一个空间分辨率较低的分区域波前校正器。该校正器与原校正器同步工作, 并采用随机并行梯度下降算法对同一个性能评价函数进行优化, 从而构成了双校正器的耦合工作结构。对256单元分立活塞式波前校正器建立了自适应成像系统的数值模型, 结果表明这种分区域耦合的随机并行梯度下降自适应光学系统比传统随机并行梯度下降自适应光学系统具有更快的收敛速度和更好的渐近态。     

基于透射型体布拉格光栅的两通道2.5kW光谱组束输出

体光栅光谱组束是获得高功率激光输出的一种有效途径.在有限的可用带宽内,光谱通道间隔影响着组束光束数目以及最终的高功率组束输出.采用耦合波理论,建立了一个两通道高功率光谱组束模型.通过优化体光栅光谱通道间隔,可放宽对组束子束线宽和功率的限制,组束功率可大幅提升而光谱密度并无显著下降.基于此,实验上获得了2.5 kW组束输出,绝对效率超过85%,通道间隔5 nm,光谱密度为0.51kW/nm.组束功率1 kW时,组束输出能保持好的光束质量;组束功率1.5kW时光束质量恶化较明显,通过分析发现,组束光束质量的恶化主要受限于体光栅的色散及高功率下体光栅复杂的热畸变.     

用于人眼视网膜成像照明的激光消散斑技术研究

以近红外激光(808 nm)作为人眼波前像差探测的信号光和视网膜成像的照明光,液晶空间光调制器(LCOS)作为波前校正器,用哈特曼波前探测器探测人眼像差,构建了人眼像差自适应校正的视网膜成像系统.利用模拟眼分析了激光散斑对相机成像的影响和对哈特曼波前探测器进行像差探测的影响,同时验证了利用旋转散射体的方法消除激光散斑的可行性和有效性;用活体人眼进行了激光消散斑前后照明视网膜进行成像的对比实验,并进一步利用自适应光学技术实现了对人眼像差的动态校正和视网膜细胞的连续成像.校正后,系统波前像差的均方根值小于0.1λ.实验表明激光消散斑后可以同时作为人眼像差探测的信号光和视网膜成像的照明光,从而可以进行连续自适应校正和成像.     

20单元双压电片变形镜的性能测试与闭环校正实验研究

测试了20单元双压电片变形镜的影响函数、变形量-电压特性曲线、面形热稳定性和频率响应特性,并搭建基于20单元双压电片变形镜和13×13阵列哈特曼传感器的自适应光学系统,测试了该变形镜对自身初始面形和静态像差板的闭环校正效果.实验结果表明,各分立电极变形量对加载电压的平均灵敏度为0.57 μm/100 V,离焦电极的灵敏度为1.09 μm/100 V;各电极变形量-电压响应曲线均存在迟滞现象,滞后量在最大变形量的10%以内;在温度引起的双压电片变形镜面形变化中离焦项贡献最大,其变化对温度也最为敏感,在13℃ 关键词： 自适应光学 双压电片变形镜 特性分析 闭环校正     

Repetition rate increase and diffraction-limited focal spots for a nonthermal-equilibrium 100-TW Nd:glass laser chain by use of adaptive optics

Dynamic wave-front correction is applied before each shot on a 100-TW, 30-J/300-fs high-power laser facility by use of an adaptive-optics system. This system allows us to increase the repetition rate of high-energy lasers while maintaining excellent and constant beam focusability with a Strehl ratio of >0.75 despite the amplifiers' not being in thermal equilibrium. The best results in terms of the highest Strehl ratio and intensities are obtained when locking the system on wave-front sensing after pulse recompression.     

37单元双压电片变形镜板条激光光束净化

为了校正板条激光器输出光束波前像差,改善输出光束质量,提出了基于37单元双压电片变形镜的板条激光光束净化系统。采用柱面反射式单向扩束器使主振荡功率放大结构板条激光器输出光束尺寸与37单元双压电片变形镜有效口径相匹配,利用随机并行梯度下降算法控制双压电片变形镜面形,进行波前像差闭环校正,校正后光束远场归一化桶中功率提高到净化前的2~3倍。     

神光Ⅲ原型装置自适应光学系统应用技术研究

重点研究了高功率固体激光装置自适应光学系统的两个主要应用问题,包括波前传感器参考波前在线标定和预补偿方式下激光过滤波器小孔堵孔问题。文中对两种不同的在线标定方法进行了研究,分析各自的优缺点,结合自适应光学系统的校正对象确定合适的标定方法和标定结果。针对小口径注入位置预补偿的自适应光学布局方案,对影响过滤波小孔的主要因素进行了研究,并从自适应光学系统控制和激光器运行流程两个方面提出了解决方案,获得较好的实验结果。     

Nearly diffraction-limited laser focal spot obtained by use of an optically addressed light valve in an adaptive-optics loop

We demonstrate correction of laser wave-front distortions by use of an adaptive-optical technique based on a light valve. The setup consists of an achromatic and adjustable-sensitivity wave-front sensor and a wave-front corrector relying on an optically addressed liquid-crystal spatial light modulator. Experimental results with strongly aberrated beams focused close to the diffraction limit are presented for the cw regime. Additional experiments with pulses and measurement of damage thresholds show that this approach is relevant for spatial phase correction of ultraintense laser pulses.     

Open- and closed-loop aberration correction by use of a quadrature interferometric wave-front sensor

Experimental results are presented for an adaptive optics system based on a quadrature Twyman-Green interferometric wave-front sensor. The system uses a circularly polarized reference beam to form two interferograms with a pi/2 phase shift. The experiments conducted used Kolmogorov phase screens to simulate atmospheric phase distortions. Strehl ratio improvements by a factor of 8, to an absolute value of 0.45, are demonstrated.     

机载光学平台平均流场气动光学效应研究

使用选区电子衍射软件模拟机载光学平台绕流流场,根据绕流流场定量研究了气动光学平均流场效应的性质及其随激光传输角度的变化。发现平均流场气动光学效应引起的波前畸变主要是低阶像差,整体倾斜占比约92%,整体倾斜、离焦和像散三项总和占比平均值99%以上;随传输方向变化,波前像差均方根值以及波前性质有显著不同:对于不同的传输方向,光程差(OPD)均方根值(RMS)的变化范围从0.13～1.20μm,光轴偏向角的变化范围从1～12μrad。去倾斜后的波前像差引起的光束质量因子β值,对所有方向的统计平均值为1.8;校正了离焦和像散后,光束质量因子β值的平均值为1.16。光束质量因子β值随口径增加而增加,无自适应光学校正时变化规律接近线性。     

抽运光波前畸变对拍瓦激光器前端OPA光束质量的影响

数值模拟了拍瓦激光器前端非共线光参变放大(OPA)过程中存在波前畸变的抽运光对信号光光束质量的影响.结果表明,当抽运光光束波前存在严重畸变时,衍射效应和走离效应通过不同的物理机制导致了信号光光束质量的急剧下降.在导致信号光光束质量下降的过程中,走离效应在OPA未饱和放大时起着主导作用,当OPA工作在过饱和状态时,过饱和导致的信号光近场空间分布中心凹陷成为光束质量下降的主要因素.     

大口径光束波前采样器(孔栅)的研制

应用平面波角谱理论，分析了采样器对光波场采样和分光的基本原理以及对空间采样频率的选择规则，描述了实际研制的大口径采样器的结构设计，并通过数值方法和高能激光大气传输实验研究了高能激光经采样器前／后的远场光斑分布关系。结果表明：利用光束波前采样器能高保真地实现对高能激光束的分光。     

大倍率离轴无焦四反光学系统设计

空间引力波探测任务采用的是外差法激光干涉测量技术,其对系统的噪声和精度要求极为苛刻。望远镜是引力波探测天文台的重要组成部分,起到激光信号收发的作用,其光学系统应具备大倍率、高像质、杂光抑制能力强,波前误差一致性好的特点。针对上述要求,对大倍率离轴四反无焦光学系统进行了设计和优化。基于初级像差理论阐述了初始结构的求解方法。系统具有中间像面和可用的实出瞳,便于杂光抑制和与后端科学干涉仪的承接。优化过程中,建立了波前一致性优化函数,通过优化设计,系统入瞳直径为200 mm,放大倍率为40倍,科学视场为±8μrad,波前误差RMS值优于0.005λ,PV值优于0.023λ(λ=1064 nm),波前一致性残差RMS值优于0.0008λ(λ=1064 nm),在捕获视场±200μrad内的成像质量均接近衍射极限,并对系统公差进行了分析,满足引力波探测的应用需求。