Modeling for deformable mirrors and the adaptive optics optimization program

We discuss aspects of adaptive optics optimization for large fusion laser systems such as the 192-arm National Ignition Facility (NIF) at LLNL. By way of example, we considered the discrete actuator deformable mirror and Hartmann sensor system used on the Beamlet laser. Beamlet is a single-aperture prototype of the 11-0-5 slab amplifier design for NIF, and so we expect similar optical distortion levels and deformable mirror correction requirements. We are now in the process of developing a numerically efficient object oriented C++ language implementation of our adaptive optics and wavefront sensor code, but this code is not yet operational. Results are based instead on the prototype algorithms, coded-up in an interpreted array processing computer language

Large aperture optical switching devices

We have developed a new approach to constructing large aperture optical switches for next generation inertial confinement fusion lasers. A transparent plasma electrode formed in low pressure ionized gas acts as a conductive coating to allow the uniform charging of the optical faces of an electro-optic material. In this manner large electric fields can be applied longitudinally to large aperture, high aspect ratio Pockels cells. We propose a four-electrode geometry to create the necessary high conductivity plasma sheets, and have demonstrated fast (less than 10 nsec) switching in a 5x5 cm aperture KD*P Pockels cell with such a design. Detaid modelling of Pockels cell performance with plasma electrodes has been carried out for 15 and 30 cm aperture designs

Observation of anomalous low J-value Stokes and anti-Stokes lines in stimulated rotational Raman scattering over long air paths

Anomalous low-J-value Stokes and anti-Stokes lines in stimulated rotational Raman scattering are observed with large Fresnel number, linearly polarized beams. Forced light scattering at the rotational intermodulation frequency is also observed. Dynamics of the Stokes-anti-Stokes coupling will be discussed. 5 refs., 2 figs

The use of beam propagation modeling of Beamlet and Nova to ensure a ``safe`` National Ignition Facility laser system design

An exhaustive set of Beamlet and Nova laser system simulations were performed over a wide range of power levels in order to gain understanding about the statistical trends in Nova and Beamlet`s experimental data sets, and to provide critical validation of propagation tools and design ``rules`` applied to the 192-arm National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The experiments considered for modeling were at 220-ps FWHM duration with unpumped booster slabs on Beamlet, and 100-ps FWHM with pumped 31.5-cm and 46-cm disk amplifiers on Nova. Simulations indicated that on Beamlet, the AB (the intensity pendent phase shift parameter characterizing the tendency towards beam filamentation) for the booster amplifier stage without pumping, would be nearly identical to the AB expected on NIF at the peak of a typical 20-ns long shaped pulse intended for ICF target irradiation. Therefore, with energies less than I kJ in short-pulses, we examined on Beamlet the comparable AB-driven filamentation conditions predicted for long ICF pulseshapes in the 18 kJ regime on the NIF, while avoiding fluence dependent surface damage. Various spatial filter pinhole configurations were examined on Nova and Beamlet. Open transport spatial filter pinholes were used in some experiments to allow the direct measurement of the onset of beam filamentation. Schlieren images on Beamlet of the far field irradiance measuring the scattered light fraction outside of 33-{micro}radians were also obtained and compared to modeled results

Efficient broadband third harmonic frequency conversion via angular dispersion

In this paper we present experimental measurements and theoretical modeling of third harmonic (3{omega}) conversion efficiency with optical bandwidth. Third harmonic conversion efficiency drops precipitously as the input bandwidth significantly exceeds the phase matching limitations of the conversion crystals. For Type I/Type II frequency tripling, conversion efficiency be-gins to decrease for bandwidths greater than {approximately}60 GHz. However, conversion efficiency corresponding to monochromatic phase-matched beams can be recovered provided that the instantaneous Propagation vectors are phase matched at all times. This is achieved by imposing angular spectral dispersion (ASD) on the input beam via a diffraction grating, with a dispersion such that the phase mismatch for each frequency is zero. Experiments were performed on the Optical Sciences Laser (OSL), a 1--100 J class laser at LLNL. These experiments used a 200 GHz bandwidth source produced by a multipassed electro-optic phase modulator. The spectrum produced was composed of discrete frequency components spaced at 3 GHz intervals. Angular dispersion was incorporated by the addition of a 1200 gr/mm diffraction grating oriented at the Littrow angle, and capable of rotation about the beam direction. Experiments were performed with a pulse length of 1-ns and a 1{omega} input intensity of {approximately} 4 GW/cm{sup 2} for near optimal dispersion for phase matching, 5.2 {mu}rad/GHz, with 0.1, 60, and 155 GHz bandwidth, as well as for partial dispersion compensation, 1.66 {mu}rad/GHz, with 155 GHz and 0.1 GHz bandwidth. The direction of dispersion was varied incrementally 360{degrees} about the beam diameter. The addition of the grating to the beamline reduced the narrowband conversion efficiency by approximately 10%

Demonstration of efficient full aperture Type I/Type II third harmonic conversion on Nova

Type I/Type II third harmonic conversion has been implemented at the 74 cm aperture of the Nova laser system. We discuss the performance capabilities and alignment issues of this scheme for Nova relative to conventional Type II/Type II conversion. 3 refs., 2 figs

Performance of a Nova beamline with high damage threshold glass

We report on measurements made on a Nova beamline whose output amplifier stages contain new high damage threshold, platinum particle-free laser glass. We project future operating limits for the Nova ten beam amplifier system. 4 refs