[23a-A406-1~5] 3.13 Optical control devices and optical fibers (formerly 3.14)

[23a-A406-2] Development of liquid crystal phase and polarization converter for use in kW class lasers

Takeshi Yamamoto¹, 〇(PC)Keisuke Yoshiki² (1.Oasa Electronics, 2.Univ. of Hyogo)

Keywords:Spatial light modulator, Phase, and polarization, Liquid crystal

We have developed a polarization/phase converter that is applied to lasers in the kW class. The heat accumulated inside the liquid crystal device is a problem under high-power laser irradiation. Using sapphire substrates to improve heat dissipation and maintain a uniform temperature distribution inside the liquid crystal prevents damage and stabilizes the polarization and phase distribution. The design of the cooling system was based on the results of thermal calculations, and finally a liquid crystal device that performs at 6 kW was successfully developed.