Laser-Induced Damage Growth on Larger-Aperture Fused Silica Optical Components at 351nm

Laser-induced damage is a key lifetime limiter for optics in high-power laser facility. Damage initiation and growth under 351 nm high-fluence laser irradiation are observed on larger-aperture fused silica optics. The input surface of one fused silica component is damaged most severely and an explanation is presented. Obscurations and the area of a scratch on it are found to grow exponentially with the shot number. The area of damage site grows linearly. Micrographs of damage sites support the micro-explosion damage model which could be used to qualitatively explain the phenomena.     

Effect of Air Gap on Dual-Tripler Broadband Third-Harmonic Generation

We experimentally study the effect of the air gap on conversion efficiency and the spectrum of generated third-harmonic pulses in the dual-tripler broadband third-harmonic generation scheme. The experimental results are in good agreement with predictions that the 4-cm air gap is equivalent to a full cycle of phase mismatch among the three interacting pulses （i.e. the fundamental, second-harmonic and third-harmonic pulse）. The experimental results also show that the spectrum of the third-harmonic pulse is sensitive to the air gap. We also point out that the air gap effect can be ignored when the dual-tripler system is located in 1000 Pa atmosphere. These results will guide the design of the broadband third-harmonic generation system in high power lasers.     

Laser-induced damage on large-aperture fused silica gratings

Two sets of laser-damage experiments on large-aperture fused silica optics have been carried out in a high-power laser facility. Severe damage has been found on the grating which presented dense craters on the front surface. This phenomenon is quite different from other fused silica optics, which are damaged on the rear surface. The damage possibility due to the redeposition layer was ruled out by acid-etching the grating’s front surface. The remarkable stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) effect was observed in grating and the reason for the front surface damage is thought to be the backward SBS.     

光学参变啁啾脉冲放大相位失配啁啾脉冲频谱整形新方法

相位匹配是实现高效光学参变啁啾脉冲放大(OPCPA)能量转换的关键之一,通过对几种常用非线性晶体的光学参变啁啾脉冲放大过程进行数值模拟研究,结果表明一定程度的相位失配不但能增加光学参变啁啾脉冲放大增益带宽,而且会使啁啾脉冲光谱强度分布中间凹陷。提出利用光学参变啁啾脉冲放大相位失配放大作为啁啾脉冲频谱整形的新方法,通过理论分析和模拟计算,找到了光学参变啁啾脉冲放大相位失配啁啾脉冲频谱整形效果的控制量;并对几种常用非线性晶体在简并、近简并、非简并等条件下的光学参变啁啾脉冲放大相位失配放大特性进行了比较。     

大口径DKDP晶体受激拉曼散射增益系数的测量（英）

大口径KDP/DKDP晶体在强紫外光辐照下产生横向受激拉曼散射效应（TSRS）, 受激放大的拉曼散射光将导致激光能量损失甚至激光损伤, 测量DKDP晶体TSRS增益系数对设置激光装置的运行区间以确保晶体的安全使用非常重要。采用高精度光谱仪探测大口径DKDP晶体（氘含量65%）在351 nm激光辐照下的横向拉曼散射信号, 得到了拉曼散射光的增长曲线, 拟合得到的拉曼增益系数为0.109 cm/GW。同时, 实验结果表明晶体体损伤不影响TSRS增长行为, 表明晶体体损伤对拉曼增益系数测量结果的影响可以忽略。     

氘含量对DKDP晶体横向受激拉曼散射增益系数的影响

本文测量了不同氘含量K(H_1-xD_x)₂PO₄晶体(DKDP晶体)在Z(XX)Y散射配置下的自发拉曼散射光谱, 并详细分析了氘含量对与横向受激拉曼散射(TSRS)增益系数有关的拉曼频移、半峰宽和散射强度的影响. 然后通过与去离子水拉曼散射对比得出了不同氘含量DKDP晶体的TSRS增益系数. 结果表明随着氘含量的增加DKDP晶体的TSRS增益系数先减小至KDP晶体的40.1%, 后增大至68.9%; 本文认为掺氘后拉曼半峰宽的变化是引起TSRS增益系数随氘含量变化的主要原因.     

基频倍频光群速度对超短脉冲三倍频的影响分析

在超短脉冲的谐波转换过程中, 由于不同波包之间的群速度失配的存在, 非线性晶体的有效厚度、转换效率及带宽等将相互制约, 不能获得理想结果。基于耦合波方程, 在平面波和小信号近似条件下推导出了关于基频、倍频光群速度关系的解析表达式。通过对200 fs超短脉冲在II类KDP晶体中的混频过程的模拟分析, 发现在满足相位匹配的前提下, 三次谐波转换效率随着基频、倍频光群速度倒数的差值的平方呈现出指数衰减的关系, 与理论结果吻合。得出的关于基频光、倍频光群速度的表达式, 作为三倍频群速度匹配关系式的必要补充, 对寻找合适的色散晶体和选择有效的匹配措施, 实现宽带三次谐波转换具有理论指导意义。     

Molecular Dynamics Study of the Structural Modification of Porous Silica from Low-Energy Recoils

Molecular dynamics simulations are performed to investigate the effects of low-energy recoils on the microscopic structure of porous silica. Exhibiting a logistic growth with the recoil energy, the displacement probability of Si is shown to be smaller than that of O at the same primary knock-on level. Computations of pair distribution functions and bond angle distributions reveal that this material upon irradiation with energies around the displacement thresholds mainly undergoes structural changes in the medium-range order. In the porous network,while the formation of nonbridging oxygen defects tends to induce shorter Si–O bonds than those formed by bridging oxygen atoms, a remarkable increase of inter-tetrahedral bond angles created by multiple recoils can be observed and associated with the rearrangement of ring statistics.     

KDP晶体受激拉曼散射特性

详细比较了磷酸二氢钾(KDP)晶体的自发拉曼散射和受激拉曼散射光谱,在受激拉曼散射(SRS)中观察到了自发拉曼散射中最强的振动模的三阶Stokes光(559.43,589.74,623.50nm),由于其他振动模的受激拉曼散射增益系数较小,其SRS光谱未观察到。另外,比较了传统生长的未退火和退火后的KDP晶体及快速生长的锥区和柱区KDP晶体的受激拉曼散射增益系数,结果表明生长方法和热退火对KDP晶体的受激拉曼散射增益系数无明显影响。     

用于快点火的激光驱动器组束方式

 根据实现快点火激光的预估参数要求,分析了非相干组束和相干组束是否可满足快点火所需的激光功率密度和能量。引入与实际情况相当的畸变波前分析远场焦斑,为了满足能量要求非相干组束需要组合更多的光束,并改进驱动器的稳定性将角漂控制在±2 μrad范围内;相干组束可获得更小的焦斑有利于提高功率密度,同时可降低对能量的要求,但仅对单路光分别进行波前补偿并不能提高能量集中度,需要引入复杂的监测和控制设备对整个通光孔径内的波前(包括束内和束间)进行全局控制。基于目前提出的参数要求和波前校正能力,非相干合成更易实现快点火,但相干合成则具有更广泛的应用潜力。