Abstract

Recent experiments on the Nova fusion laser have shown that stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) prevents efficient transmission of high intensity 0.35-μm light through large optics. Due to the narrowband nature of this phenomenon, it is possible to inhibit it by varying the wavelength of the laser during the optical pulse. We accomplished this by installing a frequency modulator in the master oscillator system. High power shots have demonstrated that this effectively suppresses the Brillouin scattering problem in the optic being tested.’

© 1989 Optical Society of America