Quick Shot

An equivalent-target-plane diagnostic has been constructed to evaluate phase plates used on either the National Ignition Facility (NIF), OMEGA 60, or OMEGA EP Laser Systems. The diagnostic was built on the same optical table that is used for ultraviolet holographic recording. An off-axis parabola (OAP) is used to expand a laser beam to the required clear aperture, while a second OAP is used to form either a magnified focal spot or quasi-near-field beam pattern. A NIF phase plate, shown positioned at the lower right, is being characterized within this test facility by optics engineers Jo Bunkenburg and Charles Kellogg.