An Analysis of Mathematical Transformations and a Comparison of Numerical Techniques for Computation of High-Energy CW Laser Propagation in an Inhomogeneous Medium.

摘要

Present methods for modeling the propagation of focused and collimated laser beams are examined. Methods used for transforming the paraxial equation into a form more suitable for computation are generalized. This generalization is shown to lead to more beneficial computational characteristics than transformations previously employed. Various strategies arising from these transformations are analyzed and compared for numerical efficiency. The transformed equations are shown to be a convenient point of departure for solution by a class of numerical methods. The formulation is shown to lead to a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) solution that does not require a Nyquist accuracy criterion,allowing the numerical procedure to march the solution forward in a more economical fashion. (Modified author abstract)