Field evaluation of two new continuous-wave dye laser systems optimized for sodium beacon excitation

Bruce P. Jacobsen; Ty Martinez; James Roger P. Angel; Michael Lloyd-Hart; Steve M. Benda; Dave Middleton; Herbert W. Friedman; Gaylen V. Erbert

doi:10.1117/12.176068

31 May 1994 Field evaluation of two new continuous-wave dye laser systems optimized for sodium beacon excitation

Bruce P. Jacobsen, Ty Martinez, James Roger P. Angel, Michael Lloyd-Hart, Steve M. Benda, Dave Middleton, Herbert W. Friedman, Gaylen V. Erbert

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 2201, Adaptive Optics in Astronomy; (1994) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.176068
Event: 1994 Symposium on Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation for the 21st Century, 1994, Kailua, Kona, HI, United States

Abstract

Adaptive correction of infrared images formed by large telescopes will be possible with the aid of a single laser guide star projected along the telescope axis. The fundamental limit set by focus anisoplanatism of a sodium beacon allows correction to the diffraction limit in the 1.65 and 2.2 micron bands under typical conditions at a good site. A 1 arcsec `star' of V magnitude approximately equals 9 is then required to reduce photon noise to negligible level. In this paper we report on recent tests of continuous wave dye lasers at wavelength 589 nm, used to create sodium beacons above the Multiple Mirror Telescope. A coherent ring dye laser operating at 2.5 W average power and projected as circularly polarized light yielded a beacon of m_v equals 9.85, and a Livermore-designed standing wave laser operating at 1.7 W and projected as linearly polarized light yielded m_v equals 10.4. Beacon sizes close to 1 arcsec were achieved. The 9th magnitude goal should be achieved by using more advanced cw dye lasers with 20% conversion efficiency of a 25 W argon ion pump laser, and from improvements in beam projection efficiency. We describe a refractive beam expander under construction for the 6.5 m conversion of the MMT.

Citation Download Citation

Bruce P. Jacobsen, Ty Martinez, James Roger P. Angel, Michael Lloyd-Hart, Steve M. Benda, Dave Middleton, Herbert W. Friedman, and Gaylen V. Erbert "Field evaluation of two new continuous-wave dye laser systems optimized for sodium beacon excitation", Proc. SPIE 2201, Adaptive Optics in Astronomy, (31 May 1994); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.176068

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