Abstract

An integrated optics wavefront sensor with 200-ns temporal resolution¹ has been used to investigate the near-field phase and intensity distribution of a flashlamp- pumped pulsed dye laser with peak output in a 2-µs pulse of about 3.5 MW. This is the first report of a measurement of the wavefront at the aperture of a laser with temporal resolution of this order of magnitude. Ten 200-ns snapshots of the wavefront have been taken during one 2-µs laser pulse. The time-resolved phase measurements have shown that a major portion of the measured degradation of the beam quality of the laser can be explained by dynamic processes that occur during the laser pulse.

© 1988 Optical Society of America