RMS gradient analysis of the high power laser system components

To specify the component focus performance the author uses the RMS gradient so that the direct relationship of the fabrication quality and the focus performance of the laser beam can be easily found. In this paper the definition of the RMS gradient and its characteristics are introduced, the differences between the RMS gradient and the PV, RMS，PSD are discussed. The RMS gradient analyzing results of some typical components employed in the high power laser system are presented. The results show that the RMS gradient is a kind of efficient tool to specify the optical components’ fabrication quality.