Plasma Filament Beam Characterization for High Energy Lasers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods are inadequate for characterizing incoming electromagnetic energy beams, such as high energy laser beams, to determine their source and origin effectively.
Innovation Solution
The method involves generating a beam of laser pulses that self-focus to create plasma filaments, which intersect with the incoming energy beam, dispersing its energy over a wider range of angles, allowing for detection by a first detector, and using a control unit to steer the filaments towards the source for optimal characterization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If laser pulses are used to create plasma filaments for beam characterization, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces plasma filaments as an intermediary medium between the incoming electromagnetic beam and the detector. The laser-generated plasma filaments intersect with the incoming beam to create a diffuse pattern that encodes beam characteristics, allowing indirect measurement with high precision while keeping the detector relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical state of the detection medium by creating plasma from laser pulses. This parameter change (from solid/liquid detector to plasma state) enables new measurement capabilities for characterizing high energy beams that would be difficult to measure with conventional detectors.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If plasma filaments are generated to disperse beam energy, then detection capability is improved, but loss of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a controlled amount of laser energy to create plasma filaments that partially interact with the incoming beam. This partial action is sufficient to create detectable diffusion patterns while minimizing excessive energy consumption and loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The plasma filaments create a diffuse copy or representation of the incoming beam's energy distribution. Instead of directly measuring the concentrated beam, the system measures the diffuse pattern that copies the beam's characteristics, enabling detection with reduced energy requirements.
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 effectively characterizes the incoming energy beam by dispersing its energy, enabling detection of its properties like wavelength, frequency, and intensity, thereby determining the beam's source and origin with improved accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
a beam of plasma filaments is generated from the laser pulses
Implementation Method 2
directing the plasma filaments so that they intersect with the incoming electromagnetic energy beam thereby generating a diffuse electromagnetic energy beam
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and apparatus for characterising an incoming electromagnetic energy beam. The method comprises the steps of generating a beam of laser pulses (3), generating a beam of plasma filaments from the laser pulses (5), directing the plasma filaments so that they intersect with the incoming electromagnetic energy beam, thereby generating a diffuse electromagnetic energy beam (7), and detecting a first portion of the diffuse electromagnetic energy beam using a first detector (9).