Abstract

Measuring the wave front of a laser beam, either as it propagates in free space or after it has passed through an optical system, has been of interest in many diverse fields. In laser fusion, the wave front quality of the beam at the target is important to energy coupling. Likewise, the wave front quality of diode lasers limits the data density in optical storage systems and influences the bit error rate in audiodisk players.

© 1986 Optical Society of America