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Generation of custom modes in a Nd:YAG laser with a semipassive bimorph adaptive mirror

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Abstract

Custom modes at a wavelength of 1064 nm were generated with a deformable mirror. The required surface deformations of the adaptive mirror were calculated with the Collins integral written in a matrix formalism. The appropriate size and shape of the actuators as well as the needed stroke were determined to ensure that the surface of the controllable mirror matches the phase front of the custom modes. A semipassive bimorph adaptive mirror with five concentric ring-shaped actuators and one defocus actuator was manufactured and characterised. The surface deformation was modelled with the response functions of the adaptive mirror in terms of an expansion with Zernike polynomials. In the experiments the Nd:YAG laser crystal was quasi-CW pumped to avoid thermally induced distortions of the phase front. The adaptive mirror allows to switch between a super-Gaussian mode, a doughnut mode, a Hermite-Gaussian fundamental beam, multi-mode operation or no oscillation in real time during laser operation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Applied Physics, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012, Berne, Switzerland

    M. Gerber

  2. Institut für Strahlwerkzeuge, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 43, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany

    T. Graf

  3. Adaptive Optics for Industrial and Medical Applications Group, Adopt Ltd., Dm. Ulyanov str. 4-2-13, Moscow, 119333, Russia

    A. Kudryashov

Authors
  1. M. Gerber
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  2. T. Graf
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  3. A. Kudryashov
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Correspondence to M. Gerber.

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PACS

42.60.Jf; 42.60.Da; 42.60.By

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Gerber, M., Graf, T. & Kudryashov, A. Generation of custom modes in a Nd:YAG laser with a semipassive bimorph adaptive mirror. Appl. Phys. B 83, 43–50 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-005-2068-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-005-2068-y

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