Wavefront correction of laser beam using a deformable mirror with a large aperture

Abstract

Wavefront distortion of a laser beam is generated by the static wavefront aberration included in optical devices and the dynamic source such as convective disturbance for laser beam propagation, the change of a refractive index by thermal absorption in a laser medium and nonlinear effects in a resonator. These wavefront distortions cause deteriorating the performance of a laser system. Adaptive optical system (AOS) which consists of a wavefront sensor and a wavefront correction device (deformable mirror) can solve this problem. Particularly, for a high power and high repetition laser system for the purpose of laser fusion and laser processing, AOS may be effective.