title: Measurement of the wave front of a pulsed dye laser using an integrated-optics sensor with 200-nsec temporal resolution.
abstract: We report the use of an integrated-optics wave-front measurement sensor to measure with 200-nsec temporal resolution the phase and intensity at the aperture of a high-power (3.5-MW peak power) flash-lamp-pumped pulsed dye laser. The measurements reveal large fluctuations of the dye-laser wave front during the 2-microsec duration of the laser pulse. The fluctuations and the resulting poor beam quality are attributed to inhomogeneous heating of the dye during the pulse. These high-temporal-resolution measurements, which are not possible with other state-of-the-art wave-front analyzers, explain the previously measured poor beam quality of the laser.
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Rediker
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Zollars
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Lind
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Hatch
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Burke