Integrated Laser Beam Control

As High Energy Laser (HEL) systems move closer to integration in operational systems, the importance of developing compact and rugged beam control system technology continues to increase. The conventional approach for integration of fine steering, beam clean-up and turbulence pre-compensation subsystems uses a stove-piped approach that leads to bulky, complex, and difficult to integrate systems. Nutronics, Inc. has developed the Integrate Laser Beam Control (ILBC) approach which includes two innovative approaches for integration of beam control functions with HEL systems that both offer potential for significant reductions in size, weight, power, and complexity. The two approaches, ILBC-A and ILBC-R, respectively, are optimized for use in a Master Oscillator Power Amplifier (MOPA) configuration (ILBC-A) and an unstable resonator configuration (ILBC-R). The approaches are highly flexible and suitable for use with a wide range of sensing and control methods. The ILBC-A configuration offers a highly innovative approach that includes both a beam clean-up DM and turbulence compensation DM in low power beam paths with wavefront sensing accomplished on isolated beam paths to minimize dynamic range requirements.