Diffraction effect due to optical noise sources in a glass laser system

Diffraction patterns caused by optical noise sources have severe detrimental effects on high power glass laser systems. We have experimentally and analytically studied the diffraction patterns caused by phase perturbation as well as by intensity perturbation and have obtained them at various locations before and after spatial filtering. Based on these results, the maximum size of noise sources that are allowable in glass laser systems have been determined. (author)