초록 ▼

A method and system for automatically aligning a high power laser utilizing a diffraction ruled reflection grating to sample the laser beam. A tiltable beam alignment mirror directs a laser beam in a path incident to the reflection grating which separates the incident beam into a reflected beam and

A method and system for automatically aligning a high power laser utilizing a diffraction ruled reflection grating to sample the laser beam. A tiltable beam alignment mirror directs a laser beam in a path incident to the reflection grating which separates the incident beam into a reflected beam and first and second order diffraction beams. A tiltable distortion compensation mirror is positioned in the path of the two diffraction beams. Two auxiliary fixed mirrors are positioned such that the diffraction beams will reflect a predetermined number of times off the distortion compensation mirror prior to reflecting toward respective null position detectors. Error signals from these detectors are translated, in accordance with certain optical and mathematical relationships, into angular adjustments to the two tiltable mirrors, thereby compensating for the thermal distortion of the reflection grating and aligning the output laser beam.

대표청구항 ▼

An autoalignment system for a high power laser comprising: a diffractive reflection grating for separating an incident laser beam into a reflected beam and, at least, a first order diffraction beam and a second order diffraction beam, said diffraction beams manifesting angular deflections as a resul

An autoalignment system for a high power laser comprising: a diffractive reflection grating for separating an incident laser beam into a reflected beam and, at least, a first order diffraction beam and a second order diffraction beam, said diffraction beams manifesting angular deflections as a result of either the directional misalignment of said incident laser beam or the thermal distortion of said reflection grating; beam alignment means for reflecting said laser beam on a path incident to said reflection grating; detecting means for generating a deflection error signal, corresponding to the degree of deflection from an established reference point, for each of at least two incident beams; distortion compensation means, positioned in the path of both said first order diffraction beam and said second order diffraction beam, for reflecting each of said diffraction beams a predetermined number of times prior to being reflected onto paths incident to said detecting means; first tilting means for establishing the orientation of said beam alignment means and thereby the reflected direction of said laser beam; second tilting means for establishing the orientation of said distortion compensation means and thereby the paths incident to said detecting means of said reflected diffraction beams; and, control means coupled between said detecting means and said first and second tilting means, responsive to said deflection error signals for controlling said first and second tilting means, such that the detected angular deviations in said first and second order diffraction beams are translated into correlative, corrective tilt adjustments to said beam alignment means and said distortion compensation means in accordance with the relationship dqmlcosqdd/d) -2ndbcosffdD -2daqdqdadbf