Optical aberrations in a spinning pipe gas lens.
If a heated pipe is rotated about its axis, a density gradient is formed which results in the pipe acting as a graded index lens. In this study we revisit the concept of a spinning pipe gas lens and for the first time analyse both the wave propagation of optical fields through the lens, and determine the optical aberrations introduced by the lens to the laser beam. We show that such lenses are highly aberrated, thus having a deleterious effect on the laser beam quality.
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, National Laser Centre, PO Box 395, Pretoria 0001, South Africa.
Cosmas
C
Mafusire
Andrew
A
Forbes
Max M
MM
Michaelis
Glen C
GC
Snedden
D016477:Artifacts; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005740:Gases / Q000737:chemistry*; D007834:Lasers; D007909:Lenses; D008027:Light; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation
D005740:Gases