Multibeam lasers often require an output beam balance that specifies the degree of simultaneity of the laser output energy, instantaneous power, or instantaneous irradiance (power per unit area). This work describes the general problem of balancing a multibeam laser. Specific techniques used to balance the output power of the 60-beam pulsed OMEGA Laser System are discussed along with a measured reduction of beam-to-beam imbalance. In particular, the square-pulse distortion induced by a simple saturating amplifier operating with its output at some fraction of its saturation fluence is derived, and a method to exchange gain between saturated amplifiers in a single beam that have different saturation fluences to adjust balance is described.

© (2019) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

S. Sampat, T. Z. Kosc, K. A. Bauer, R. D. Dean, W. R. Donaldson, J. Kwiatkowski, R. Moshier, A. L. Rigatti, M. H. Romanofsky, L. J. Waxer, and J. H. Kelly, "Power balancing a multibeam laser," Proc. SPIE 10898, High Power Lasers for Fusion Research V, 108980A (Presented at SPIE LASE: February 06, 2019; Published: 15 May 2019); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2506823.