Thermal blooming

Thermal blooming or thermal lensing occurs when high-energy laser beams propagate through a medium.^[1][2] It is the result of nonlinear interactions that occur when the medium (e.g. air or glass) is heated by absorbing a fraction of the radiation, causing a "thermal lens" to form, with a dioptric power related to the intensity of the laser, among other factors. The amount of energy absorbed is a function of the laser wavelength. The term "thermal blooming" is typically used when the medium is air, and can describe any type of self-induced "thermal distortion" of laser radiation. The term "thermal lensing" is typically used when describing thermal effects in the laser's gain medium itself.

See also

• Optical Kerr effect

References

1. Lukin, V.P.; Fortes, B.V. (2002). Adaptive Beaming and Imaging in the Turbulent Atmosphere. SPIE Press monograph. SPIE Press. p. 107. ISBN 978-0-8194-4337-3. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
2. Paschotta, Dr Rüdiger. "Thermal Lensing". www.rp-photonics.com. Retrieved 2022-11-12.

• Tyson, R. (2012). Principles Of Adaptive Optics. Elsevier Science. pp. 40–42. ISBN 978-0-323-15659-2. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
• Zohuri, B. (2016). Directed Energy Weapons: Physics of High Energy Lasers (HEL). Springer International Publishing. p. 381. ISBN 978-3-319-31289-7. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
• Dawes, C. (1992). Laser Welding: A Practical Guide. Series in Welding and Other Jo. Abington. p. 210. ISBN 978-1-85573-034-2. Retrieved September 5, 2017.