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Full-Text Articles in Physics
Thermally Activated, Variable Blazed Grating For Coherent Beam Steering, Matthew T. Johnson
Thermally Activated, Variable Blazed Grating For Coherent Beam Steering, Matthew T. Johnson
Theses and Dissertations
The ability to perform non-mechanical optical beam steering is of critical importance in laser communication and remote sensing; it is as vital as a phased-array antenna is for RADAR. Directed energy transmission and direction-selective reception increase performance and produce tactical advantage in DoD applications. However, specific geometric features of non-mechanical beam steering devices must be designed in proportion to the wavelength of the monochromatic light to be steered. Also, the ability to handle higher energies by reducing the energy per unit requires large areas of uniform properties on the micrometer scale. These challenges have been addressed in the past using …
Passive Multiple Beam Combination In Optical Fibers Via Stimulated Brillouin Scattering, Kirk C. Brown
Passive Multiple Beam Combination In Optical Fibers Via Stimulated Brillouin Scattering, Kirk C. Brown
Theses and Dissertations
Many active methods of scaling laser brightness have been demonstrated in recent years. The goal of this research was to demonstrate the feasibility of passively combining multiple laser beams using Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) in a long multimode optical fiber. This method of combination employed a “Gatling gun” fiber array that allowed several collimated beams to be focused by a lens into an optical fiber. The retroreflected Stokes beam is passed through the center of the beam combiner for analysis. In addition to experimental methodology and equipment used, the theoretical and historical background of SBS in optical fibers is provided. …
Development Of A Multiple Beam Combiner Using Stimulated Raman Scattering In Multimode Fiber, Brian M. Flusche
Development Of A Multiple Beam Combiner Using Stimulated Raman Scattering In Multimode Fiber, Brian M. Flusche
Theses and Dissertations
Beam combination was demonstrated by splitting the beam from a diode pumped Q-switched Nd:YAG laser and pumping a multiple input, single output fiber squid. Beam cleanup of the resulting output beam using stimulated Raman scattering was then demonstrated in both 100 μm fiber (Stokes M2 = 1.86) and 200 μm fiber (Stokes M2 = 1.40). The performance of the 200 μm fiber was compared to that of the 100 μm fiber. Energy conversion efficiency into the Stokes beam was measured as a function of input energy and found to be limited by the attenuation characteristics of the fiber. …
Multiple Channel Laser Beam Combination And Phasing Using Stimulated Brillouin Scattering In Optical Fibers, Brent W. Grime
Multiple Channel Laser Beam Combination And Phasing Using Stimulated Brillouin Scattering In Optical Fibers, Brent W. Grime
Theses and Dissertations
Brightness scaling lasers using stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in optical fibers is explored. A multiple-channel amplifier approach is used to increase the total power of a laser system while avoiding a significant burden on a single channel. The work explores two approaches utilizing both SBS beam cleanup and SBS piston error conjugation. A unique beam combiner that takes advantage of the SBS beam cleanup properties of a long, gradient-index multimode fiber was designed and tested. The beam combiner was developed to combine multiple-channel laser beams simultaneously with high input and output coupling efficiency. The design for the SBS beam combiner …
Investigation Of Laser Beam Combining And Cleanup Via Seeded Stimulated Brillouin Scattering In Multimode Optical Fibers, Bryan J. Choi
Investigation Of Laser Beam Combining And Cleanup Via Seeded Stimulated Brillouin Scattering In Multimode Optical Fibers, Bryan J. Choi
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this thesis research was to determine if stimulated Brillouin scattering amplification in multimode optical fibers would exhibit the same laser beam combining and clean-up properties exhibited by SBS oscillation, and to characterize the Brillouin amplification process in a multimode optical fiber. Beam combining in multimode fibers via SBS is being considered as a method of combining low power laser beams into a single beam having higher power and superior spatial coherence for applications such as electro-optic countermeasures. Experimental results demonstrate seeding a 9.5 mm fiber significantly reduced the pump power required to initiate SBS. An amplified Stokes …
Laser Beam Combining And Cleanup Via Stimulated Brillouin Scattering In Multi-Mode Optical Fibers, Blake C. Rodgers
Laser Beam Combining And Cleanup Via Stimulated Brillouin Scattering In Multi-Mode Optical Fibers, Blake C. Rodgers
Theses and Dissertations
The main objective of this thesis was to demonstrate the feasibility of combining and cleaning up multiple laser beams via Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) in a multi-mode optical fiber. Beam combining via SBS in an optical fiber is of interest because of the low SBS threshold power in an optical fiber allowing low power diode laser beams to be combined into one high power beam. SBS theory and some of the important historical results are described briefly. The experimental results clearly indicate that SBS in multi-mode optical fiber can indeed combine laser beams and clean up the beams at the …
Regression Analysis Of Radar Measured Optical Turbulence With Synoptic Scale Meteorological Variables, Diana L. Hajek
Regression Analysis Of Radar Measured Optical Turbulence With Synoptic Scale Meteorological Variables, Diana L. Hajek
Theses and Dissertations
A key issue to the USAF's Airborne Laser (ABL) program is the ability to accurately predict the level of optical turbulence that the ABL will encounter at its flight levels. The optical turbulence must be characterized so that the range and range variation of the ABL can be determined. Gravity wave spectra resulting from frontal or jet stream passage are presumed to cause layers of optical turbulence; however, exact relationships between optical turbulence and synoptic scale meteorological phenomena are unclear. This study assesses the statistical relationship between optical turbulence and synoptic scale variables through multiple linear regression. The optical turbulence …
Laser Beam Propagation In Non-Kolmogorov Atmospheric Turbulence, Bruce E. Stribling
Laser Beam Propagation In Non-Kolmogorov Atmospheric Turbulence, Bruce E. Stribling
Theses and Dissertations
Several observations of atmospheric turbulence statistics have been reported which do not obey Kolmogorov's power spectral density model. These observations have prompted the study of optical propagation through turbulence described by non-classical power spectra. This thesis presents an analysis of optical propagation through turbulence which causes index of refraction fluctuations to have spatial power spectra that obey arbitrary power laws. The spherical and plane wave structure functions are derived using Mellin transform techniques and are applied to the field mutual coherence function (MCF) using the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle. The MCF is used to compute the Strehl ratio of a focused, …