Wedge-plate shear for focus-shifting testing in single-shot laser system

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Physics
• Metrology

Background:

• Thermal distortion significantly impacts laser system performance by causing focus shifts.
• Accurate and rapid measurement of focus shifting is crucial for maintaining laser system stability and precision.
• Existing methods may lack the speed or convenience required for dynamic thermal distortion analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present a novel method for measuring focus shifting caused by thermal distortion in single-shot laser systems.
• To introduce a wedge-plate shear shifting system with adjustable accuracy and measuring range.
• To provide a convenient, economical, and rapid solution for capturing focus shifts.

Main Methods:

• A wedge-plate shear shifting system with adjustable accuracy and measuring range was employed.
• Two beam splitter groups precisely divided a single laser beam into multiple beams with varying optical path differences.
• Focus shifting was quantified by monitoring the positional changes of the minimum spot on a detector.

Main Results:

• The proposed method effectively measures focus shifting induced by thermal distortion.
• The system demonstrated adjustable accuracy and measuring range capabilities.
• The technique successfully captured focus shifts in ultrashort timeframes.

Conclusions:

• The developed wedge-plate shear shifting system offers an effective solution for measuring thermal distortion-induced focus shifts.
• This method is convenient, economical, and capable of capturing rapid focus dynamics.
• The system is particularly advantageous for applications requiring high-speed focus shift detection in single-shot laser systems.