Adaptive optics on petawatt lasers: current performance of the Texas Petawatt Laser

Mikael Martinez; Erhard Gaul; Teddy Borger; Frances Aymond; Douglas Hammond; Marty Ringuette; Ramiro Escamilla; Todd Ditmire; John Caird; Al Erlandson; Igor Iovanovic; Chris Ebbers; Bill Molander

doi:10.1117/12.880765

18 February 2011 Adaptive optics on petawatt lasers: current performance of the Texas Petawatt Laser

Mikael Martinez, Erhard Gaul, Teddy Borger, Frances Aymond, Douglas Hammond, Marty Ringuette, Ramiro Escamilla, Todd Ditmire, John Caird, Al Erlandson, Igor Iovanovic, Chris Ebbers, Bill Molander

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7913, Laser Resonators and Beam Control XIII; 79130H (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.880765
Event: SPIE LASE, 2011, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

In this paper, we report on current developments aimed at improving the focusability of the Texas Petawatt Laser. Two major campaigns have been commissioned that address the issue of focusability. First, we implemented a closed loop, 32 actuator bi-moprh deformable mirror (DFM) to compensate for aberrations in the optical train and second, a color corrector lens assembly was installed that compensates for chromatic errors accumulated in broadband (>15 nm), large aperture (>20 cm) laser systems. We will present in detail, pre and post correction results with the DFM and describe challenges faced when one activates a single shot, high energy closed loop system. Secondly, we will provide modeling and experimental results of our color correction system. This is a novel approach to a problem only seen in high energy, broadband, large aperture laser pulses. By using color correction optics we have demonstrated a 6X increase in focal intensity. With the installation of the DFM, the rms wavefront error in the system was reduced from 2.4 waves to .131 waves, further increasing intensities seen at focus by 1 order of magnitude.

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Mikael Martinez, Erhard Gaul, Teddy Borger, Frances Aymond, Douglas Hammond, Marty Ringuette, Ramiro Escamilla, Todd Ditmire, John Caird, Al Erlandson, Igor Iovanovic, Chris Ebbers, and Bill Molander "Adaptive optics on petawatt lasers: current performance of the Texas Petawatt Laser", Proc. SPIE 7913, Laser Resonators and Beam Control XIII, 79130H (18 February 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.880765

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