Far-field vector-diffraction of off-axis parabolic mirror under oblique incidence

Based on a full vector-diffraction theory, a detailed theoretical study is carried out, aiming at providing a clear insight into the effects of different focusing and off-axis parabola parameters on far-field vector-diffraction properties of an offaxis parabolic mirror in the presence of misalignments of the incoming beam. The physical origin of these effects is also explored. The results show that the far-field intensity profile is altered by the distortion-, coma-, and astigmatism-like aberrations, which are caused by oblique incidence rather than inherent aberrations for the off-axis configuration. The radius of 90% encircled energy also increases but does not change monotonically with incident beam size increasing, or rather,it first decreases and then increases. The focal shift strongly depends on the effective focal length and oblique incidence angle, but it is almost independent of the beam size, which affects the focusing spot patterns. The intensity distribution produces a higher astigmatic image with off-axis angle increasing. Coma-like aberration starts to become dominant with beam size increasing and results in larger curved propagation trajectory. The incident polarization also affects the intensity distribution. The variation in the Strehl ratio with oblique incidence angle strongly depends on the misalignment direction and beam size as well. In addition, we find that the difference in locus between the catacaustic and the diffraction focus in the meridian is small. But the locus of the sagittal foci is obviously different from the locus of the meridian foci and the catacaustic focus. Moreover, the peak intensity of the sagittal focus is maximum, and the ratio of the peak intensity to that in the meridian plane is approximately 1.5. Understanding these effects is valuable for assessing a practical focused intensity and describing the motion of charged particles under a strong electric field in ultraintense laser–matter interaction.

Intra-cycle depolarization of ultraintense laser pulses focused by off-axis parabolic mirrors

A study of the structure of the electric and magnetic fields of ultraintense laser pulses focused by an off-axis parabolic mirror is reported. At first, a theoretical model is laid out, whose final equations integration allows the space and time structure of the fields to be retrieved. The model is then employed to investigate the field patterns at different times within the optical cycle, for off-axis parabola parameters normally employed in the context of ultraintense laser–plasma interaction experiments. The results show that nontrivial, complex electromagnetic field patterns are observed at the time at which the electric and magnetic fields are supposed to vanish. The importance of this effect is then studied for different laser polarizations, f numbers and off-axis angles.

Configuration optimization of off-axis parabolic mirror for enhancing the focusability of a laser beam

We demonstrate a configuration optimization process of an off-axis parabolic mirror to maximize the focused peak intensity based on a precise knowledge of the tight focusing properties by using a full vector-diffraction theory and obtain an optimum configuration scaling rule, which makes it possible to achieve the maximum peak intensity. In addition, we also carry out an assessment analysis of the offset and off-axis angle tolerances corresponding to a 5% drop of the maximum focused peak intensity and present scaling laws for the tolerances of the offset and off-axis angle. Understanding these scaling laws is important to enhance the focusability of a laser beam by an off-axis parabolic mirror in the optimum configuration, in particular, which is valuable for structural design and selection of an off-axis parabolic mirror in ultrashort and ultraintense laser–matter interaction experiments.

A Full Aperture Backscattering Light Diagnostic System Installed on the Shenguang-III Prototype Laser Facility

A full aperture backscattering light diagnostic system （FABLDS） implemented on the Shen Guang-Ⅲ Prototype Laser Facility is described in the paper. FABLDS measures both stimulated brillouin scattering （SBS） and stimulated Raman scattering （SRS） with a series of optical detectors. Energy sensors record the integrated energy, and streak cameras coupled with spectrometers measure the temporal spectrum of the backscattering light. This paper provides an overview of the FABLDS and detailed descriptions of the optical path. Special components, including off-axis parabolic mirror, spatial filter and optical light filters, are incorporated along the beam path for purifying the scattering light. Several hohlraum targets were employed, including C5H12 gas-filled targets and empty targets in the experiments. Results presented in the paper indicate that the fraction of backscatter light has been obviously shrinked when the laser is smoothed by continuous phase plates （CPP）.

高能拍瓦激光系统中大口径离轴抛物面聚焦特性研究

为进行快点火实验,需对高能拍瓦激光聚焦系统中的核心元件即大口径离轴抛物面,进行深入量化研究,以便对其结构选型和精密调整提供准确的理论依据。利用基于严格的矢量衍射理论的数值计算方法,并结合像差分析得到了大孔径、大离轴量的抛物面镜(OAP)的物理光学成像特性。首先用理想平行光入射,得出OAP的三维平动公差与其焦深密切相关,OAP绕旋转对称轴的转动可归结为平动问题,其公差与焦深也有简单关系;入射光轴失准时,像散占主导作用,并可由一结构因子来定性描述其对像斑的影响。其次当入射光有一定的发散角时,除引起最佳像面位置变化外,还会由于OAP不对称性而引起的彗差使得像斑的峰值光强大大降低,并论述了OAP的结构参数对此的影响。