Laser phase conversion using continuous distributed phase plates

Energy-efficient laser phase conversion, using fully continuous distributed phase plates, has been achieved for solid-state laser drivers in ICF. Optical lithography has been demonstrated to be an excellent means of generating deep, continuous surface-relief structures in photosensitive materials that subsequently are replicated with embossing or etching techniques. In addition, the method of simulated annealing has been shown to be a superior technique for designing continuous phase plates to control the focal-plane profile.