Conditions for the dynamic control of the focusing properties of the high-power CW CO2 laser beam in a system with an adaptive mirror

Abstract

A mirror with a controllable focal length designed for the high power cw CO2 industrial laser was integrated into the laser beam guiding system in order to verify conditions for the dynamic control of the laser beam focusing properties. The ability of the mirror to correct the thermal distortions in the laser output window was investigated by measuring the beam characteristics versus the mirror shape at different conditions of the laser operation defined by the output power level. The experimental tests prove that the mirror enables dynamic adjustments of the laser beam diameters at the focusing optics and in consequence the control of the focused beam parameters.