Method of and apparatus for correction of laser beam phase front aberrations

摘要

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a controlling laser beam at a first wavelength is introduced into an interferometer such that one half of it contains the aberrations of the laser beam to be controlled and the other half is and remains undistorted. The aforementioned two halves of the controlling laser beam are combined at the output of the interferometer and then, together with the laser beam to be controlled at a second wavelength is introduced collinearly into a gas cell or phase corrector. Upon combination or interference of the two halves of the controlling laser beam the phase-front aberrations are translated to intensity modulations across the cross section of the beam. Utilizing nonlinear dispersion in the gas cell in accordance with the invention, the intensity modulations across the controlling laser beam are transformed by nonlinear dispersion interaction into appropriate refractive index variations at the second wavelength which in turn causes corresponding phase changes across the phase front of the controlled laser beam. Adjustment of path length in the interferometer permits compensation of the aberrations in the controlled laser beam.