Reduction of Thermal Blooming by Beam Optimization.
Abstract
The report examines various techniques for reducing the severe thermal distortion effects which represent a serious limitation for high power CO2 laser beams in the atmosphere. The principal accomplishments reported here are in the areas of (1) beam amplitude and phase shaping for reducing cw thermal blooming effects, and (2) the investigation of multiple pulse or pulse train propagation as a means for alleviating the thermal blooming problem. In Section II the studies of beam optimization for cw propagation are discussed. Numerical calculations of the thermal blooming were used to investigate (a) the effects of beam amplitude shaping, and (b) a reciprocity approach for establishing the optimum beam amplitude and phase shape.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1974
- Accession Number
- ADA020497
Entities
People
- B. Burdick
- David C. Smith
- Frederick G. Gebhardt
- P. J. Berger
- R. Tripodi