Analysis of influence of thermally induced aberrations on laser beam quality factor (M2) in a high-power laser system

In a high-power laser system, thermally induced aberrations, which can influence the laser beam quality, are caused by thermal deformations of the optical elements when they are irradiated by the laser. We evaluate the mechanism responsible for the influence of thermally induced aberrations on the laser beam quality factor (M-2) using the finite element method and angular spectrum theory. The thermally induced aberrations are decomposed into their constituent Zernike terms, showing that the influence of the thermally induced aberrations on M-2 comprises a mixed contribution of different aberrations. The M-2 of a fiber laser is simulated and measured when the laser transmits through organic glass. The simulation results have a good consistency with the experimental results, indicating that the method used in this study is effective when analyzing the influence of thermally induced aberrations on M-2. (C) 2018 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)