Abstract
Large-aperture high-power solid-state laser systems for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) research, such as the recently activated Nova system at LLNL, are frequency converted from the 1.053-μm fundamental (1ω) to the second (2ω), third (3ω), and fourth (4ω) harmonic wavelengths for efficient laser-target coupling,1 It is therefore essential that we understand the optical processes that limit efficient frequency conversion. We report here on the implications of recent observations using the Nova laser system of a power-dependent rotation of the plane of polarization of the output beam. This rotation occurs in slightly depolarized regions of the beam and depends in magnitude on the polarization ellipticity and B-integral accumulated in the propagation path subsequent to the depolarizing components. In particular, we find that third harmonic (3ω) conversion with type II phase matching2 is adversely affected, because a polarization orientation error as small as 1° or 2° causes a premature backconversion of the 3ω field to the input 1ω and 2ω fields. We have conducted experiments on Nova to understand the details of dynamic polarization rotation and the implications for second3 and third harmonic, frequency converted, solid-state laser systems. Recent experiments show 65 % conversion of the full aperture 1.053-μm Nova beam to the third harmonic when the output polarization is fixed with an additional polarizing element.
© 1986 Optical Society of America
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