Antares Beam Alignment System

A. C. Saxman; T. Swann; W. C. Sweatt; Q. Appert; K. C. Jones; J. Hudgens

doi:10.1117/12.957744

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13 November 1980 Antares Beam Alignment System

A. C. Saxman, T. Swann, W. C. Sweatt, Q. Appert, K. C. Jones, J. Hudgens

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Proceedings Volume 0190, Los Alamos Conference on Optics 1979; (1980) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.957744
Event: Los Alamos Conference on Optics '79, 1979, Los Alamos, United States

Abstract

The Antares CO2 laser system is a 200-TW, 100-kJ, gas laser for the investigation of inertial confinement fusion. The light energy produced is transmitted in 72 beams extending from the input sections of the power amplifiers through the target system optics and finally focused on the target. The 72 independently-controlled beams originate from 6 power amplifiers, each having an annular array of 12 quasi-trapezoidal apertured sectors. Each of the 72 beam lines must be independently aligned and the beams independently focused on the target. The beam alignment system requirements and the physical and operational constraints are detailed and explained in reference to the Antares system design. Two beam-alignment schemes which satisfy the technical and operational requirements and are cost-effective with respect to hardware and integration costs are outlined and compared. The first scheme, the Flip-In Detector technique, can use CO2 or visible alignment lasers. A series of beam centering detectors are sequentially centered at appropriate mirrors throughout the 72 beam lines. The beams are finally centered at the target position on a centering detector. The second scheme, the See-Through Imaging Technique, has a visible-imaging, electro-optic centering and pointing system whose optical axis is colinear with the front-end amplifier driver pulse. The imaging system can be centered on each mirror throughout the optical train. The target can be viewed and the beam pointed and focused at any part of the target.

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A. C. Saxman, T. Swann, W. C. Sweatt, Q. Appert, K. C. Jones, and J. Hudgens "Antares Beam Alignment System", Proc. SPIE 0190, Los Alamos Conference on Optics 1979, (13 November 1980); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.957744

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