Adaptive laser resonator

Abstract

The feasibility of compensating for intracavity phasefront distortions using a multidither zonal COAT system has been demonstrated insided an unstable resonator cavity using a CO2 electric discharge laser. Experimental data are presented that verify that intracavity-induced degradation of the near-field and far-field intensity distributions can be corrected and the extracted output power improved by using adaptive resonator techniques.