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Instrumentation integration in large systems: the OMEGA laser upgrade at the University of Rochester as an example

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Abstract

The University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics is upgrading its existing 24-beam, 2.5-kJ UV OMEGA laser to a 60-beam, 30-kJ UV laser. In order to successfully operate a system of this complexity and size, a variety of optical diagnostics for beam pointing, centering, energy, temporal pulseshape, gain, and loss, in both the infrared and ultraviolet, must be deployed. These diagnostics must ensure near-identical performance of each of the 60 individual beamlines. In addition to its own performance requirements, each diagnostic always faces stringent cost limitations and almost always a space limitation. This presentation describes the OMEGA laser upgrade and some of the novel concepts used in its design. Examples of several of the diagnostics are traced through their conceptual and prototype development to illustrate the trade-offs made in their design. Often the trade-offs were made between diagnosing potential problems or reducing their probability to acceptable levels. Significant cost savings were made by combining optical trains used for several diagnostics or with some other component of the laser system. In some cases one or a few diagnostics were multiplexed over the 60 beamlines. In yet other cases no compromise could be made and individual instruments were deployed for each of the beamlines. The entire process has so far proved to be highly interactive with instrumentation requirements and laser requirements often changing to accommodate advances, new understanding, and/or economies. This interaction was formalized by the establishment of a systems engineering group and a requirements review board.

© 1991 Optical Society of America

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