Application of optimization algorithms to the design of diffractive optical elements for custom laser resonators

Area of Science:

• Optics and photonics
• Laser physics
• Computational electromagnetics

Background:

• Traditional diffractive element design for laser mode customization treats them as phase-conjugation devices.
• Quantization for fabrication in standard methods leads to significant performance loss.
• Developing advanced techniques is crucial for high-fidelity laser mode control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce numerical optimization algorithms for designing diffractive elements that customize laser fundamental mode profiles.
• To investigate the impact of quantization on diffractive element performance.
• To explore methods for enhancing fundamental mode fidelity in customized laser cavities.

Main Methods:

• Application of numerical optimization algorithms to diffractive element design.
• Analysis of performance loss due to quantization of phase elements.
• Investigation of the effects of introducing slight intrinsic cavity loss.
• Evaluation of mode-selection element discrimination qualities.

Main Results:

• Numerical optimization successfully accounts for element quantization, increasing effective performance.
• A slight increase in cavity intrinsic loss substantially enhances fundamental mode fidelity.
• Mode-selection element discrimination qualities remain unaffected by the optimization process.

Conclusions:

• Numerical optimization offers a superior approach to designing diffractive elements for laser mode customization compared to standard techniques.
• The proposed method overcomes performance limitations associated with element quantization.
• Controlled introduction of cavity loss is a viable strategy to improve laser mode fidelity without compromising selectivity.