Open AccessPower balancing the multibeam OMEGA laser
Author(s) -
Siddharth Sampat,
T. Z. Kosc,
K. A. Bauer,
Richard Dale Dean,
William R. Donaldson,
J. Kwiatkowski,
R. Moshier,
Amy L. Rigatti,
M. H. Romanofsky,
L. J. Waxer,
John Kelly
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
applied optics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.668
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 2155-3165
pISSN - 1559-128X
DOI - 10.1364/ao.57.009571
Subject(s) - optics , amplifier , laser beam quality , laser , beam parameter product , beam (structure) , saturation (graph theory) , m squared , laser power scaling , beam diameter , power (physics) , physics , materials science , laser beams , optoelectronics , mathematics , cmos , combinatorics , quantum mechanics
Multibeam lasers often require an output beam balance that specifies the degree of simultaneity of the laser output energy, instantaneous power, or instantaneous irradiance (power per unit area). This work describes the general problem of balancing a multibeam laser. Specific techniques used to balance the output power of the 60-beam pulsed OMEGA Laser System are discussed along with a measured reduction of beam-to-beam imbalance. In particular, the square-pulse distortion induced by a simple saturating amplifier operating with its output at some fraction of its saturation fluence is derived, and a method to exchange gain between saturated amplifiers in a single beam that have different saturation fluences to adjust balance is described.