Littrow angle method to remove alignment errors in grating pulse compressors
Applied Optics, Vol. 47, Issue 27, pp. 4959-4964 (2008)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/AO.47.004959
Enhanced HTML 
Acrobat PDF (5304 KB)
Abstract
An alignment method for pulse-compression gratings that obviates the need to place the gratings at normal incidence to remove grating-tip error is proposed. Grating-tip and groove-orientation errors are removed using two alignment wavelengths in a manner analogous to a laser-beam pointing and centering procedure entirely at the respective Littrow angles for the two wavelengths. By choosing wavelengths with Littrow angles close to the use angle of the grating, the residual tip and groove-orientation errors that may be introduced when the grating mount is tilted to its use angle are reduced. This method has greatly facilitated the alignment of the OMEGA Extended Performance (EP) large-aperture pulse compressors, thereby reducing residual pulse-front tilt caused by nonparallel gratings. OMEGA EP is a high-energy, petawatt-class laser at the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics. A numerical simulation of the alignment procedure is presented.
© 2008 Optical Society of America
OCIS Codes
(050.1950) Diffraction and gratings : Diffraction gratings
(140.7090) Lasers and laser optics : Ultrafast lasers
(320.5520) Ultrafast optics : Pulse compression
(350.2660) Other areas of optics : Fusion
ToC Category:
Diffraction and Gratings
History
Original Manuscript: June 26, 2008
Manuscript Accepted: August 2, 2008
Published: September 17, 2008
Citation
M. J. Guardalben, "Littrow angle method to remove alignment errors in grating pulse compressors," Appl. Opt. 47, 4959-4964 (2008)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/ao/abstract.cfm?URI=ao-47-27-4959
You do not have subscription access to this journal. Citation lists with outbound citation links are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an OSA member, or as an authorized user of your institution.
Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Log in to access OSA Member Subscription
You do not have subscription access to this journal. Cited by links are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an OSA member, or as an authorized user of your institution.
Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Log in to access OSA Member Subscription
You do not have subscription access to this journal. Figure files are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an OSA member, or as an authorized user of your institution.
Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Log in to access OSA Member Subscription
You do not have subscription access to this journal. Article level metrics are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an OSA member, or as an authorized user of your institution.
Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Log in to access OSA Member Subscription
Related Journal Articles 
- Phased-array grating compression for high-energy chirped pulse amplification lasers (OE)
- Large-aperture grating tiling by interferometry for petawatt chirped-pulse–amplification systems (OE)
- Demonstration of large-aperture tiled-grating compressors for high-energy, petawatt-class, chirped-pulse amplification systems (OL)
- Object–image-grating self-tiling to achieve and maintain stable, near-ideal tiled grating conditions (OL)
- Coherent addition of gratings for chirped-pulse-amplified lasers based on near-field and far-field measurements (COL)
Related Conference Papers
- Design and Fabrication of Efficient Reflection Grisms for Pulse Compression and Dispersion Compensation
- Phased-Array Grating Compression for High-Energy Chirped Pulse Amplification Lasers
- The Titan Laser at LLNL
- Phased-Array Grating Compression for High-Energy Chirped Pulse Amplification Lasers
- The Titan Laser at LLNL
« Previous Article | Next Article »
OSA is a member of 