Abstract

When developing high power lasers for applications such as machining, there is a need to ensure good beam quality and to precisely point the beam in the required direction. Many pointing devices are susceptible to laser damage, and devices that can withstand high power may be cumbersome and slow to control. One approach which avoids some of the problem was demonstrated by Ayral et al [1], and used the technique of ‘phase conjugate beam steering’. In this technique, a low power ‘master’ beam is steered by a conventional device, and then directed through an amplifier to a phase conjugate mirror. The beam retraces the path back through the amplifier, and is extracted before it returns to the steering device. Relay imaging is used to image the aperture of the beam steering device onto the aperture of the amplifier. Ayral et al demonstrated a system in which ‘master’ beam was a factor 10 smaller than the system output. This dynamic range limits the number of applications where the technique may be used.

© 2000 IEEE