Deformable Catoptric Focus Mirror for High-Energy Laser Beam Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional focus mechanisms in high-energy laser systems, such as refractive optics and moving mirrors, suffer from significant optical losses and aberrations, which negatively impact energy maintenance and beam quality, especially at high power levels.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a catoptric focus mechanism using a deformable mirror with actuators that adjust its reflective surface to maintain focus over a range of distances, allowing for convex, flat, and concave shapes, reducing optical losses and aberrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If refractive optics or moving mirrors are used for focus, then focus can be achieved, but optical losses and aberrations increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical focus adjustment mechanisms (moving mirrors) and refractive optics with a deformable mirror that uses electrostatic actuators to change its surface shape. This substitution eliminates the optical losses and aberrations associated with moving mirrors and refractive materials, while maintaining precise focus control through electric field actuation of the mirror surface.
2Loss of energy
If traditional focus mechanisms are used, then focus control is possible, but energy maintenance deteriorates at high power levels
Solution Approach 1:
The deformable mirror system replaces traditional mechanical and refractive focus mechanisms that suffer from thermal distortion and energy loss at high power levels. The electrostatic actuation system controls the mirror surface without physical contact or moving parts that would absorb or scatter high-power laser energy, thereby maintaining energy efficiency even at elevated output powers.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the reflective surface shape is adjusted over a range of distances, then focus can be maintained on targets at different distances, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a deformable mirror with multiple electrostatic actuators that can dynamically change the mirror surface shape in real-time. This dynamic system allows continuous adjustment of the focal point across a range of distances by applying different voltages to the actuators, providing adaptability without requiring multiple discrete optical components or complex mechanical assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameter of the mirror surface curvature by applying electrostatic fields to the actuators. By varying the voltage applied to different actuator groups, the mirror surface can be shaped to focus on targets at different distances, achieving a range of focus adjustments through electrical parameter control rather than mechanical reconfiguration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach increases the output power of high-energy laser systems, minimizes optical losses, and reduces aberrations, leading to improved beam quality and effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
The deformable mirror includes a reflective surface configured to reflect an HEL beam and to focus the HEL beam on a target
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes a deformable mirror. The deformable mirror includes a reflective surface configured to reflect a high-energy laser (HEL) beam and to focus the HEL beam on a target. The deformable mirror also includes multiple actuators configured to adjust a shape of the reflective surface in order to maintain focus of the HEL beam on the target over a specified range of distances between the deformable mirror and the target. At least one portion of the reflective surface is configured to be adjusted by the actuators and obtain convex, flat, and concave shapes.