High-power beam control: results-to-date and relevance to power beaming

摘要

Abstract: Over the past fifteen years, the mid-infrared advanced chemical laser (MIRACL) and SeaLite beam director (SLBD) have been completed, moved to the High Energy Laser System Test Facility (HELSTF) at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, and integrated into the largest and most powerful high energy laser system in the U.S. The high energy laser system was modified, incorporating a shared aperture (pointing and tracking) capability to improve pointing performance. High power propagation, tracking, and beam control experiments over near vertical beam paths have been conducted. The system modifications, instrumentation, and test results are described. !0