Daniel Grass - posted 15:41, Tuesday 17 October 2023 - last comment - 12:01, Tuesday 24 October 2023(11330)
Setting up the High Power Distribution Center
[Torrey Daniel]
Began initial set up of the power distribution center. We have all the parts according to the diagram. Things are roughly aligned up until the first 50:50 BS. Will do alignment into input fiber couplers tomorrow. Torrey will attach photos and diagrams in a comment on this post.
We also put all of the laser initialization on one breadboard. This includes the seeder, polarization paddles, fiber PBS, and amplifier. The amplifier output is mounted on the power distribution center.
Update to power distrubtion center. We have things roughly aligned. The four large 1/4-20s at the end of each path represent an equal distance from the first 50:50 BS. We need more fiber collimators/input couplers however. There are 3 of these which seem less than ideal for input alignment as they have no way to control the z-axis. I suggest we get more of Lee's prefered collimator. At least three but more would be better for the future. Also going to buy better ways to mount the F230APC-1550's.
The beam splitters were mounted a 1/4 inch too high. Remounted and did course alignment. We also have a proper way to mount the fiber input couplers (they were slipping). Replaced those and put them in their approximate location. We need to make a proper mode matching solution. I don't know the exact beam size these collimators want though.
RE: need a proper MM solution for this path.
I double checked what the collimator beam looks like coming out from old data, the spec sheet quotes 530 um, our measured data was ~460 um. A 1 m focal length lens roughly 1 meter away from the collimator inputs provides a 94% match. Keeping it like this. Attached the jam file and a picture in case you don't have jammt.