Space-based-laser wavelength selection for existing beam control technology levels

Abstract

Although conventional wisdom suggests that, for space-based-laser missions, the shortest wavelength is most desirable, this is not always the case. We show, for reasonable values of wave front error and jitter (with the majority of the wave front error in the high spatial frequencies), that deuterium fluoride (DF) is the preferred choice over shorter, e.g., hydrogen fluoride, wavelengths. Here we have considered only free-space propagation; atmospheric effects, which give further advantage to DF, are not considered.