Laser Beam Propagation Research Articles

Determination of the radiation axis position of an unstable-cavity laser

Propagation of an alignment laser beam through an unstable cavity laser is numerically simulated. It is shown that the axis of the expanded beam coincides with that of the fundamental laser radiation within an accuracy of no less than 1″ even under cavity misalignment of up to 30″. Experiments on determining the position of the radiation axis of a high-power pulsed unstable cavity chemical laser and various cavity misalignments confirm the calculation results.

Measurement of degenerate two-photon absorption spectra of a series of developed two-photon initiators using a dispersive white light continuum Z-scan

To achieve efficient micro- and nanostructuring based on two-photon polymerization (2PP), the development and evaluation of specialized two-photon initiators (2PIs) are essential. Hence, a reliable method to determine the two-photon absorption (2PA) spectra of the synthesized 2PIs used for 2PP structuring is crucial. A technique by which absolute visible-to-near-infrared 2PA spectra of degenerate nature can be determined via performing a single dispersive white-light continuum (WLC) Z-scan has been realized. Using a dispersed white light beam containing 8 fs pulses at wavelengths ranging from 650 nm to 950 nm, the nonlinear transmittance as a function of the sample position can be measured for all spectral components by performing a single scan along the laser beam propagation direction. In this work, the 2PA spectrum of three different 2PIs was determined using this technique. 2PP structuring was also accomplished using the developed 2PIs at different wavelengths. Tuning the wavelength of the laser to match the peak of the 2PA spectra of the developed 2PIs resulted in lower intensity thresholds and facilitated higher structuring speeds. As an example, using M2CMK 2PI for 2PP, the scanning speed can be increased up to 5 folds when the laser wavelength is tuned to 760 nm (i.e., 2PA maximum) instead of the conventionally used 800 nm.

On validity of paraxial theory for super-Gaussian laser beams propagating in a plasma

In the present paper, we have investigated a situation where a high intensity laser beam passes through a gas and ionizes this gas by tunnel ionization. Here the electric field of the laser provides a sufficient velocity to the electrons to surpass the Coulomb barrier of the atom. Owing to the ionization the plasma density enhances which affects the laser beam propagation. The use of paraxial ray approximation theory for the present case of super-Gaussian lasers reveals the self-focusing of the beams and frequency upshifting. The predicted self-focusing of the laser beams is contrary to the expected outcome of defocusing of these beams in the plasma, indicating that the paraxial theory may not be valid for the case of super-Gaussian lasers even for the inclusion of most of the near axis region in the theory.

Fractional White-Noise Limit and Paraxial Approximation for Waves in Random Media

This work is devoted to the asymptotic analysis of high frequency wave propagation in random media with long-range dependence. We are interested in two asymptotic regimes, that we investigate simultaneously: the paraxial approximation, where the wave is collimated and propagates along a privileged direction of propagation, and the white-noise limit, where random fluctuations in the background are well approximated in a statistical sense by a fractional white noise. The fractional nature of the fluctuations is reminiscent of the long-range correlations in the underlying random medium. A typical physical setting is laser beam propagation in turbulent atmosphere. Starting from the high frequency wave equation with fast non-Gaussian random oscillations in the velocity field, we derive the fractional Ito–Schrodinger equation, that is, a Schrodinger equation with potential equal to a fractional white noise. The proof involves a fine analysis of the backscattering and of the coupling between the propagating and evanescent modes. Because of the long-range dependence, classical diffusion-approximation theorems for equations with random coefficients do not apply, and we therefore use moment techniques to study the convergence.

Consequences of high-frequency operation on EUV source efficiency

A potential problem of future extreme ultraviolet (EUV) sources, required for high volume manufacture regimes, can be related to the contamination of the chamber environment by products of preceding laser pulse/droplet interactions. Implementation of high, 100 kHz and higher, repetition rate of EUV sources using Sn droplets ignited with laser pulses can cause high accumulation of tin in the chamber in the form of vapor, fine mist, or fragmented clusters. In this work, the effects of the residual tin accumulation in the EUV chamber in dependence on laser parameters and mitigation system efficiency were studied. The effect of various pressures of tin vapor on the CO2 and Nd:YAG laser beam propagation and on the size, the intensity, and the resulting efficiency of the EUV sources was analyzed. The HEIGHTS 3D package was used for this analysis to study the effect of residual background pressure and spatial distribution on EUV photon emission and collection. It was found that background pressure in the range of 1–5 Pa does not significantly influence the EUV source produced by CO2 lasers. A larger volume with this pressure condition, however, can reduce the efficiency of the source. However, an optimized volume of mix with proper density could increase the efficiency of the sources produced by CO2 lasers.

Forming a transparent atmospheric optical channel by use of vortical laser beam

AbstractIt was shown that promising way to reduce a power loss of optical waves transmitted through atmosphere is use of spatially inhomogeneous optical waves with phase front in form of flat spiral. Vortical optical beam used to separate aerosol (due to light pressure on water particles) and create a cone wherein droplets concentration is substantially reduced. Unlike known method to create a transparent atmospheric optical channel based on use evaporation of aerosol particles via high‐power laser radiation, proposed method is substantially less energy‐consuming since when moving aqueous aerosol particle from area of laser beam propagation no evaporation occurs.

Experimental validation of phase-only pre-compensation over 494 m free-space propagation.

It is anticipated that ground-to-geostationary orbit (GEO) laser communication will benefit from pre-compensation of atmospheric turbulence for laser beam propagation through the atmosphere. Theoretical simulations and laboratory experiments have determined its feasibility; extensive free-space experimental validation has, however, yet to be fulfilled. Therefore, we designed and implemented an adaptive optical (AO)-box which pre-compensates an outgoing laser beam (uplink) using the measurements of an incoming beam (downlink). The setup was designed to approximate the baseline scenario over a horizontal test range of 0.5km and consisted of a ground terminal with the AO-box and a simplified approximation of a satellite terminal. Our results confirmed that we could focus the uplink beam on the satellite terminal using AO under a point-ahead angle of 28μrad. Furthermore, we demonstrated a considerable increase in the intensity received at the satellite. These results are further testimony to AO pre-compensation being a viable technique to enhance Earth-to-GEO optical communication.

Interaction of high-power laser radiation with low-density polymer aerogels**Presented at the ECLIM 2016 conference (Moscow, 18 – 23 September 2016).

The interaction of high-power subnanosecond laser pulses with low-density targets of cellulose triacetate polymer is considered. An Nd-glass laser setup provides a focal spot intensity of over 1014 W cm−2. An investigation is made of absorption of laser radiation, laser-to-X-ray energy conversion, spectra of ions emitted from the plasma, transmission of laser radiation through the target and plasma, as well as volume heating of the target material. It is experimentally determined that the laser energy conversion efficiency to X-rays with photon energies of a few Kiloelectronvolts decreases with increasing target material density. With the use of targets of density 10 mg cm−3 this efficiency is two times lower in comparison to 2 mg cm−3 density targets. The duration and amplitude of laser pulses transmitted through the target decreases with increasing column target density (the product of target material density and its thickness). The spectra of ions emitted from low-density target plasmas are recorded using ion collectors positioned at different angles relative to the direction of laser beam propagation as well as a high-resolution Thomson mass spectrometer. The ion flux and ion energies are found to increase with increasing target material density. The peak of the ion energy spectrum is shifted towards higher energies with increasing laser radiation intensity.

Effects of relativistic and channel focusing on q-Gaussian laser beam propagating in a preformed parabolic plasma channel

The propagation of q-Gaussian laser beam in a preformed plasma channel is investigated by means of the variational method. A differential equation for the spot size has been obtained by including the effects of relativistic self-focusing, ponderomotive self-channeling and preformed channel focusing. The propagation behaviors and their corresponding physical conditions are identified. The comparison of the propagation between q-Gaussian and Gaussian laser beams is done by theoretical and numerical analysis. It is shown that, in the same channel, the focusing power of q-Gaussian laser beam is lower than that of Gaussian laser beam, i.e., the q-Gaussian laser beam is easier to focus than Gaussian laser beam.

Cholesterol detection using optical fiber sensor based on intensity modulation

The aim of the research is to detect the concentration of cholesterol by using the principle that a laser beam propagation is guided by optical fiber bundle in term of intensity profile through solution with vary concentrations of cholesterol from 0 to 300 ppm. The mechanism of cholesterol concentration detection is the propagation of He-Ne laser beam with wavelength of 632.5 nm through a fiber optic bundle and a solution of cholesterol, then is reflected by a flat mirror and enters receiving fiber. This signal is captured by a silicon detector (SL-818, Newport) in the form of output voltage. The result showed that the output voltage decrease linearly with the increase of concentration of cholesterol with a sensitivity of 0.0004 mV/ppm and the linearity more than 97%.

Optical simulations of laser focusing for optimization of laser betatron

This work presents optical simulations that are used to design a betatron driven by a short-pulse laser based on the Laser Wakefield Acceleration (LWFA) concept. These simulations explore how the optical setup and its components influence the performance of the betatron. The impact of phase irregularities induced by optical elements is investigated. In order to obtain a good estimate of the future performance of this design a combination of two distinct techniques are used - Field Tracing for optical simulations employing a combination of the Zemax and VirtualLab computational platforms for the laser beam propagation and focusing with the given optical system and particle-in-cell simulation (PIC) for simulating the short-pulse laser interaction with a gas target. The result of the optical simulations serves as an input for the PIC simulations. Application of Field Tracing in combination with the PIC for the purposes of high power laser facility introduces the new application for VirtualLab Fusion. Based on the result of these simulations an alternative design with a hole in the final folding mirror coupled with a spherical focusing mirror is considered in favour of more commonly used off-axis parabola focusing setup. Results are demonstrating, that the decrease of the irradiance due to the presence of the central hole in the folding mirror is negligible (9.69× 1019 W/cm2 for the case without the hole vs. 9.73× 1019 W/cm2 for the case with hole). However, decrease caused by the surface irregularities (surface RMS λ/4 , λ/20 and λ/40 ) is more significant and leads to the poor performance of particle production.

Average BER and outage probability of the ground-to-train OWC link in turbulence with rain

The bit-error rate (BER) and outage probability of optical wireless communication (OWC) link for the ground-to-train of the curved track in turbulence with rain is evaluated. Considering the re-modulation effects of raining fluctuation on optical signal modulated by turbulence, we set up the models of average BER and outage probability in the present of pointing errors, based on the double inverse Gaussian (IG) statistical distribution model. The numerical results indicate that, for the same covered track length, the larger curvature radius increases the outage probability and average BER. The performance of the OWC link in turbulence with rain is limited mainly by the rain rate and pointing errors which are induced by the beam wander and train vibration. The effect of the rain rate on the performance of the link is more severe than the atmospheric turbulence, but the fluctuation owing to the atmospheric turbulence affects the laser beam propagation more greatly than the skewness of the rain distribution. Besides, the turbulence-induced beam wander has a more significant impact on the system in heavier rain. We can choose the size of transmitting and receiving apertures and improve the shockproof performance of the tracks to optimize the communication performance of the system.

Propagation of partially coherent Laguerre Gaussian beams through inhomogeneous turbulent atmosphere.

Analytical formulas for the root-mean-square (rms) spatial width, the rms angular width, and the M2-factor of partially coherent standard Laguerre Gaussian beams (PC-SLGBs) and partially coherent elegant Laguerre Gaussian beams (PC-ELGBs) in inhomogeneous turbulent atmosphere have been derived. The propagation properties of PC-SLGBs and PC-ELGBs in inhomogeneous atmospheric turbulence are studied numerically and comparatively. It can be found that the propagation of laser beams in inhomogeneous turbulence is different from that in homogeneous turbulence. It is also shown that relative rms spatial widths and M2-factors of PC-ELGBs are more affected by inhomogeneous turbulence than those of PC-SLGBs. Moreover, the relative rms spatial widths and M2-factors of PC-SLGBs and PC-ELGBs in inhomogeneous turbulent atmosphere are closely related with waist widths, coherence widths, zenith angles, inner scales, and beam orders. Furthermore, the saturation propagation distance of the relative M2-factor and rms angular width with zenith angles of π/6 are 20 km and 0.5 km, respectively.

High intensity laser beam propagation through a relativistic warm magnetoplasma

In this work, nonlinear aspects of a circularly polarized high intensity Gaussian laser beam propagating in a relativistic warm magnetized plasma are studied, taking into account the relativistic ponderomotive force. The differential equation governing the dimensionless beam width parameter is achieved and numerically solved by introducing the dielectric permittivity of such plasma and using the paraxial ray approximation. The effects of entrance laser intensity and its polarization state, external magnetic field, and electron temperature on the laser spot size evolution are studied. It is found that for both right and left-handed polarization states increasing initial laser intensity deteriorates the self-focusing mechanism while rising electron temperature improves it. It is also observed that enhancing magnetic field leads to faster and stronger self-focusing in the case of right-handed polarization and an attenuation in the self-focusing process in the case of left-handed one. In addition, the spatial distribution of normalized modified electron density as well as laser intensity profiles as a function of plasma length and beam radius is plotted and discussed for three self-focusing, self-trapping, and defocusing regimes.

Study of a weak scattering model in aero-optic simulations and its computation.

Atmosphere optic statistical modeling cannot be used to analyze aerodynamic flow laser beam propagation characteristics without accounting for the density spectrum of the refractive index. However, numerical simulations support the analysis of these characteristics through ray tracing, random-phase-screen diffraction modeling, and Maxwell-equation-based scattering modeling. We analyzed the laser-beam propagation in aero-optics using the Maxwell-equation-based scattering model. Three approaches offer solutions to Maxwell's equations in statistically inhomogeneous media: high-order numerical differentiations with paraxial approximation and Runge-Kutta methods, Born-approximated scattering potential integral equations, and Rytov-approximated scattering potential integral equations. We performed high-accuracy calculations of the numerical integral equation using GCV-FFT. Finally, we analyzed the laser-beam propagations using these methods for a 2.9 Ma turbulence boundary layer (TBL) flow, the refractive index of which was obtained by direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the N-S equation.

Optical emission of a plasma from low-density targets irradiated with coherence-controllable laser radiation

The results of experiments on the interaction of nanosecond laser radiation with low-density volume-structured targets of different density and thickness are reported. The targets were irradiated by laser radiation with controllable coherence. The primary objective was to investigate the effect of target parameters on the characteristics of radiation scattered by the plasma. The spectral characteristics of the radiation scattered by the plasma in the backward direction and in the direction of laser beam propagation were obtained. Also the radiation scattering patterns were recorded.

Target Area Design of an Inertial Confinement Fusion Laser Driver Compatible with Multiple Irradiation Configurations of Targets

The target area of a 288-beam inertial confinement fusion laser driver was designed to allow lasers for direct-drive illumination, spherical hohlraum with six laser entrance holes (6LEHs), and baseline cylindrical hohlraums. The suggested radius of a target chamber was 6.0 m based on the ratio of the total port area to chamber area. Beam port distribution on the chamber was calculated if the direct propagation of laser beams into opposing beam ports was avoided, and this distribution was compatible with spherical hohlraums with 6LEHs without additional ports opened. According to the symmetry of the beam port distribution, an X-shaped beam-guiding system (BGS) in the switchyard was proposed and arranged within a baseline algorithm. The switch between direct- and indirect-drive modes was easy to operate using this BGS concept.

Analysis of Raman scattering of self-focused Gaussian laser beam in plasma without WKB approximation

The self-focusing and propagation of intense Gaussian laser beams in plasmas are investigated, and the explicit form of intensity of self-focused laser beams is derived without the use of WKB approximation. Propagation of self-focused laser beams in plasmas is strongly affected by Raman scattering and Brillouin scattering that are expected for hohlraum targets in inertial confinement fusion. The intensity of Raman and Brillouin scattered waves is derived in paraxial approximation where the effect of plasma temperature and Landau damping is considered through the kinetic theory of plasmas. The effect of plasma temperature and its density, as well as laser wavelength and its intensity, on self-focusing and spatial growth of scattered waves is considered.

Study of propagation of vortex beams in aerosol optical medium.

A theoretical and experimental study of the propagation of vortex laser beams in a random aerosol medium is presented. The theoretical study is based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle with the generation of a random field, using the fast Fourier transform. The simulation shows that the stability of vortex beams to fluctuations of an optical medium falls with rising order of optical vortices. Moreover, a coherence length (radius) of the random medium is of great importance. The coherence radius extension affects adversely the conservation of a beam structure in the random medium. During further free-space propagation, increasing coherence enables reduction of the negative effects of fluctuations for beams with high-value topological charges. Experimental studies in the random aerosol medium have shown that at small distances vortex beams mostly demonstrate lower stability than a Gaussian beam. However, at considerable distances, vortex beams start to demonstrate greater stability that may be explained by their capacity to be regenerated after they passed obstacles.

Pointing Verification Method for Spaceborne Lidars

High precision acquisition of atmospheric parameters from the air or space by means of lidar requires accurate knowledge of laser pointing. Discrepancies between the assumed and actual pointing can introduce large errors due to the Doppler effect or a wrongly assumed air pressure at ground level. In this paper, a method for precisely quantifying these discrepancies for airborne and spaceborne lidar systems is presented. The method is based on the comparison of ground elevations derived from the lidar ranging data with high-resolution topography data obtained from a digital elevation model and allows for the derivation of the lateral and longitudinal deviation of the laser beam propagation direction. The applicability of the technique is demonstrated by using experimental data from an airborne lidar system, confirming that geo-referencing of the lidar ground spot trace with an uncertainty of less than 10 m with respect to the used digital elevation model (DEM) can be obtained.