Publication Date:
2011-08-24
Description:
The spatial pointing angle and far field beamwidth of a high-power semiconductor laser are characterized as a function of CW power and also as a function of temperature. The time-averaged spatial pointing angle and spatial lobe width were measured under intensity-modulated conditions. The measured pointing deviations are determined to be well within the pointing requirements of the NASA Laser Communications Transceiver (LCT) program. A computer-controlled Mach-Zehnder phase-shifter interferometer is used to characterize the wavefront quality of the laser. The rms phase error over the entire pupil was measured as a function of CW output power. Time-averaged measurements of the wavefront quality are also made under intensity-modulated conditions. The measured rms phase errors are determined to be well within the wavefront quality requirements of the LCT program.
Keywords:
LASERS AND MASERS
Type:
In: Free-space laser communication technologies III; Proceedings of the Meeting, Los Angeles, CA, Jan. 21, 22, 1991 (A93-18923 05-74); p. 431-439.
Format:
text
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