Optical aberrations in a spinning pipe gas lens

Abstract

If a heated pipe is rotated about its axis, a density gradient is formed which results in the pipe acting as a graded index lens. In this study the authors revisit the concept of a spinning pipe gas lens and for the first time analyse both the wave propagation of optical fields through the lens, and determine the optical aberrations introduced by the lens to the laser beam. The authors show that such lenses are highly aberrated, thus having a deleterious effect on the laser beam quality