TY - JOUR A1 - Kazasidis, Orestis A1 - Verpoort, Sven A1 - Wittrock, Ulrich T1 - Sensor for dynamic focus control of a deformable mirror JF - Appl. Opt. N2 - We recently presented a novel unimorph deformable mirror which allows for dynamic focus shift with an actuation rate of 2 kHz. Such mirrors suffer from hysteresis and creep. Therefore, they have to be operated in closed-loop. For this purpose, we developed a defocus sensor based on an astigmatic detection system. In this paper, we present the sensor design and discuss its performance. KW - deformable mirrors KW - diode lasers KW - laser beams KW - laser machining KW - sensor performance Y1 - 2020 UR - https://www.osapublishing.org/ao/abstract.cfm?uri=ao-59-18-5625 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/AO.392970 IS - 59 SP - 5625 EP - 5630 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Perchermeier, Julian A1 - Wittrock, Ulrich T1 - Precise measurements of the thermo-optical aberrations of an Yb:YAG thin-disk laser JF - Opt. Lett. N2 - We report on interferometric measurements of the thermo-optical aberrations of the laser medium of an Yb:YAG thin-disk laser in pumped and cw lasing conditions at several pump-power levels with a mean repeatability of 5 nm. These measurements build the basis for future intracavity compensation of the aberrations with our deformable mirror in order to improve the fundamental-mode efficiency. Y1 - 2013 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:836-opus-6854 VL - 38 SP - 2422 EP - 2424 PB - OSA ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Rausch, Peter A1 - Verpoort, Sven A1 - Wittrock, Ulrich T1 - Performance verification and environmental testing of a unimorph deformable mirror for space applications. T2 - Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Space Optics - ICSO, Tenerife, Spain N2 - Concepts for future large space telescopes require an active optics system to mitigate aberrations caused by thermal deformation and gravitational release. Such a system would allow on-site correction of wave-front errors and ease the requirements for thermal and gravitational stability of the optical train. In the course of the ESA project "Development of Adaptive Deformable Mirrors for Space Instruments" we have developed a unimorph deformable mirror designed to correct for low-order aberrations and dedicated to be used in space environment. We briefly report on design and manufacturing of the deformable mirror and present results from performance verifications and environmental testing. KW - space optics KW - adaptive optics KW - deformable mirror KW - unimorph Y1 - 2014 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:836-opus-7716 UR - http://www.icsoproceedings.org PB - FH Münster ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Albers, Klaus A1 - Wittrock, Ulrich T1 - Optical pump concepts for highly efficient quasi-three-level lasers JF - Appl. Phys. B N2 - Efficient quasi-three-level laser operation requires the generation of the highest possible pump rate from a given pump source. We derive the fundamental scaling laws for the pump rate and we extract optimization criteria for pump concepts from these laws. The analysis is then applied to the thin-disk laser. Based on the results, a novel pump concept for thin-disk lasers is proposed, which allows for several tens of pump beam passes and reduces the optical complexity of conventional pump concepts. Furthermore, the beam quality of the pump source is preserved almost completely, facilitating the highest possible pump rate. Y1 - 2011 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:836-opus-6467 VL - 105 SP - 245 EP - 254 PB - Springer ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Verpoort, Sven A1 - Wittrock, Ulrich T1 - Novel unimorph deformable mirror with monolithic tip-tilt functionality for solid state lasers T2 - MEMS Adaptive Optics V, Proc. SPIE N2 - We present a new type of unimorph deformable mirror with monolithic tip-tilt functionality. The tip-tilt actuation is based on a spiral arm design. The mirror will be used in high-power laser resonators for real-time intracavity phase control. The additional tip-tilt correction with a stroke up to 6 μm simplifies the resonator alignment significantly. The mirror is optimized for a laser beam footprint of about 10 mm. We have modeled and optimized this mirror by finite element calculations and we will present design criteria and tradeoffs for this mirrors. The mirror is manufactured from a super-polished glass substrate with very low surface scattering and excellent dielectric coating. Y1 - 2011 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:836-opus-6471 VL - 7931 SP - 793107 PB - SPIE ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Verpoort, Sven A1 - Rausch, Peter A1 - Wittrock, Ulrich T1 - Novel unimorph deformable mirror for space applications T2 - International Conference on Space Optics (ICSO), Proc. SPIE N2 - We have developed a new type of unimorph deformable mirror, designed to correct for low-order Zernike modes. The mirror has a clear optical aperture of 50 mm combined with large peak-to-valley Zernike amplitudes of up to 35 μm. Newly developed fabrication processes allow the use of prefabricated super-polished and coated glass substrates. The mirror's unique features suggest the use in several stronomical applications like the precompensation of atmospheric aberrations seen by laser beacons and the use in woofer-tweeter systems. Additionally, the design enables an efficient correction of the inevitable wavefront error imposed by the floppy structure of primary mirrors in future large space-based telescopes. We have modeled the mirror by using analytical as well as finite element models. We will present design, key features and manufacturing steps of the deformable mirror. Y1 - 2012 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:836-opus-6516 UR - https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/10564/1056414/Novel-unimorph-deformable-mirror-for-space-applications/10.1117/12.2309089.full VL - 10564 SP - 1056414-1 PB - SPIE ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Verpoort, Sven A1 - Welp, Petra A1 - Wittrock, Ulrich T1 - Novel unimorph deformable mirror for solid state laser resonators T2 - MEMS Adaptive Optics III, Proc. SPIE N2 - We present a novel unimorph deformable mirror with a diameter of only 10 mm that will be used in adaptive resonators of high power solid state lasers. The relationship between applied voltage and deformation of a unimorph mirror depends on the piezoelectric material properties, layer thicknesses, boundary conditions, and the electrode pattern. An analytical equation for the deflection of the piezoelectric unimorph structure is derived, based on the electro-elastic and thin plate theory. The validity of the proposed analytical model has been proven by numerical finite-element modelling and experimental results. Our mirror design has been optimized to obtain the highest possible stroke and a high resonance frequency. Y1 - 2009 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:836-opus-6504 VL - 72090N PB - SPIE ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Rausch, Peter A1 - Verpoort, Sven A1 - Wittrock, Ulrich T1 - Novel unimorph adaptive mirrors for astronomy applications T2 - Proc. SPIE 8447, Adaptive Optics Systems III, 844764 N2 - We have developed a new type of unimorph deformable mirror for the correction of low-order Zernike modes. The mirror features a clear aperture of 50 mm combined with large peak-to-valley amplitudes of up to 35 μm. Newly developed fabrication processes allow the use of prefabricated, coated, super-polished glass substrates. The mirror's unique features suggest the use in several astronomical applications like the compensation of atmospheric aberrations seen by laser beacons, low light astronomy, and the use in woofer-tweeter systems. Additionally, the design enables an efficient correction of the inevitable wave-front error imposed by the floppy structure of primary mirrors in future large space telescopes. We have modeled the mirror by using analytical as well as finite element models. We will present design, key features and manufacturing steps of the deformable mirror. Y1 - 2012 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:836-opus-6203 PB - SPIE ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Trinschek, Sarah A1 - Vorholt, Christian A1 - Wittrock, Ulrich T1 - Nonlinear dynamics in intra-cavity pumped thin-disk lasers JF - Optics Express N2 - Cross-saturation of the gain media in intra-cavity pumped lasers leads to complex dynamics of the laser power. We present experimental results and a detailed theoretical analysis of this nonlinear dynamics for an intra-cavity pumped Yb:YAG thin-disk laser in the framework of a rate-equation model. The gain medium of this laser is residing in the resonator of a conventional, diode-pumped Yb:YAG thin-disk laser. Continuous-wave operation, periodic pulse trains, and chaotic fluctuations of the optical power of both lasers were observed. The dynamics is not driven by external perturbations but arises naturally in this laser system. Further examination revealed that these modes of operation can be controlled by the resonator length of the diode-pumped laser but that the system can also show hysteresis and multi-stability. Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:836-opus-132355 UR - https://www.osapublishing.org/oe/fulltext.cfm?uri=oe-29-4-5755&id=447544 VL - 29 IS - 4 SP - 5755 EP - 5773 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Verpoort, Sven A1 - Wittrock, Ulrich T1 - Miniaturized adaptive mirror for solid state laser resonators T2 - Proceedings of the 7th International Workshop on Adaptive Optics for Industry and Medicine, Shatura, Russia Y1 - 2009 ER -