Optical distortions and birefringence in high power laser windows: model and computer code
Abstract
A general optical model is given which predicts optical wave front distortions and birefringence due to stress and temperature variations in laser heated and pressure loaded windows for cubic lattice window materials. A computer code is described that integrates stress and thermal computations with an optical model to predict the wave front distortions. Restrictive approximations, which have been used previously to predict window temperature and stress distributions, are avoided by using stress and thermal codes to predict these distributions within the windows. Comparisons between code predictions and experimental results are given.
- Publication:
-
Applied Optics
- Pub Date:
- September 1985
- DOI:
- 10.1364/AO.24.002797
- Bibcode:
- 1985ApOpt..24.2797G
- Keywords:
-
- Birefringence;
- Geometrical Optics;
- High Power Lasers;
- Laser Heating;
- Optical Paths;
- Wave Front Deformation;
- Calcium Fluorides;
- Computer Programs;
- Cubic Lattices;
- Interferometry;
- Polarized Light;
- Refractivity;
- Stress Distribution;
- Temperature Effects;
- Lasers and Masers;
- BIREFRINGENCE;
- WINDOWS;
- LASERS: HIGH-POWER