Automatic adjustments of a femtosecond-pulses laser using genetic algorithms

This paper describes the automatic adjustment of a femtosecond-pulse laser using genetic algorithms (GA). Laser systems must be precisely adjusted, because the light beam has to travel many times within a laser cavity before returning to the focus point with submicron resolution. Therefore, it typically takes three days or more to adjust a femtosecond laser manually, requiring much trial and error to determine the optimal settings. In order to overcome this problem, we propose an automatic adjustment method using genetic algorithms to quickly achieve the optimal settings for a femtosecond-pulse laser. We have also developed new mirror holders allowing for both high-precision and high-speed adjustment. With this laser system, the optical components can be automatically adjusted within 15 minutes.