Deformable mirror study
Abstract
The beam quality of a baseline system similar to the Helios system was analyzed with a two-dimensional beam train code based on a Fresnel propagator. The other components of the code include: (1) characteristics of phase aberrations either in terms of Zernike polynomials synthesized directly from optical component interferograms when available, or by constructing a random wave fron with specified statistics: (2) non-diffractive linear amplification via the Frantz-Nodvik equations; and (3) correction of accumulated phase aberration with continuous deformable mirrors whose surface is modeled by bicubic splines through the actuator points. The physical optics of beam train propagation is described. A heuristic physical argument defining the zeroth order efficacy of adaptive optics to correct phase aberration is then derived. The results of applying the diffraction computer code to one beam line of the Helios laser system are described. The wave length scalability of deformable mirrors and efficacy of deformable mirror adaptive optics to correct phase aberration at UV wave lengths are then described.
- Publication:
-
Final Report
- Pub Date:
- March 1981
- Bibcode:
- 1981ric..rept.....B
- Keywords:
-
- Aberration;
- Adaptive Optics;
- Laser Fusion;
- Mirrors;
- Autocorrelation;
- Carbon Dioxide Lasers;
- Laser Outputs;
- Phase Error;
- Polynomials;
- Spline Functions;
- Plasma Physics