Controlling the spatial structure of vector beams synthesized by a fiber laser array

• Published in: Optics and laser technology 2022-10, Vol.154, p.108351, Article 108351
• Main Authors: Adamov, E.V., Aksenov, V.P., Dudorov, V.V., Kolosov, V.V., Levitskii, M.E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Coherent beam combining; Cylindrical vector beam; Fiber laser; Spatial light modulator; Spatial structure of beams; Vector beam; Vortex beam
• ISSN: 0030-3992; 1879-2545
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optlastec.2022.108351

•This paper presents a mathematical model and experimental implementation of a new method for controlling the spatial intensity distribution of a synthesized beam with nonuniformly distributed polarization.•The method is based on phase control of elements of an array of coherent emitters with the given distribution of directions of linear polarization.•The phase control is based on the well-known SPGD optimization algorithm in combination with the use of a phase corrector in the feedback loop.•The results of controlling the spatial structure of the beam are presented for phase correctors of two types. This paper presents the mathematical model and experimental implementation of a new method for dynamic control of the spatial intensity distribution of a synthesized beam with nonuniformly distributed polarization. The beam is formed by an array of fiber lasers with the controllable phase and multidirectional linear polarization. The phase control is based on the well-known SPGD optimization algorithm combined with the phase corrector in the feedback loop. The numerical model demonstrates establishment of phase relations between array elements in the dynamic process of SPGD optimization and is actually a “digital twin” of the experiment. It is found that for the experiments with the adaptive mirror (AM) and with the spatial light modulator (SLM) as a phase corrector, identical target spatial structures in the target plane are achieved at different phase distributions in the initial plane.