Adaptive Optics for Reduction of Thermal Blooming Effects by Phase Compensation

The use of an AO system for the reduction of thermal blooming effects by phase correction of a 1.064-µm laser was studied. The energy concentration of the beam spot in the far-field increased greatly when the adaptive optics system performed in a closed loop. The phase compensation of the AO system was effective for a Bradley–Hermann distortion number of less than 130. The experimental results were in good agreement with the simulation results. This study provides many physical explanations and important conclusions for using adaptive optics to reduce the thermal blooming effect.