Alignment System For Advanced Laser Resonators

David R. Dean; Gerald T. Volpe; Jerold L. Jacoby

doi:10.1117/12.931743

15 September 1981 Alignment System For Advanced Laser Resonators

David R. Dean, Gerald T. Volpe, Jerold L. Jacoby

Proceedings Volume 0270, High Power Lasers and Applications; (1981) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.931743
Event: 1981 Los Angeles Technical Symposium, 1980, Los Angeles, United States

Abstract

A methodology for advanced laser resonator alignment systems has been developed. The resonator alignment approach maintains acceptable phase quality of the output laser wavefront in the presence of optical element misalignment. The advanced laser resonator was of the Half Symmetric Unstable Resonator with Internal Axicon (HSURIA) configuration. The effects on wavefront quality of optical element misalignment in angle and translation were determined for this resonator configuration. The methodology for the alignment system was based on the misalignment sensitivity analysis. Perfect resonator alignment can be achieved only by optical element motion equal and opposite to the misalignment error. For resonator misalignments occuring at each optical element location, the requirements on the alignment system can become untenable. Adequate resonator alignment can be achieved by the introduction of wavefront aberrations which compensate those arising from resonator misalignment. The compensatory wavefront aberrations can be achieved by optical element motions which are different from the resonator misalignment. Residual wavefront error will be presented for a compensatory alignment system applied to the HSURIA resonator configuration. Acceptable residual errors can be achieved by an alignment system in which only two mirrors are controlled in angle.

Citation Download Citation

David R. Dean, Gerald T. Volpe, and Jerold L. Jacoby "Alignment System For Advanced Laser Resonators", Proc. SPIE 0270, High Power Lasers and Applications, (15 September 1981); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.931743

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