CNN-based neural network model for amplified laser pulse temporal shape prediction with dynamic requirement in high-power laser facility

The temporal shape of laser pulses is one of the essential performances in the inertial confinement fusion (ICF) facility. Due to the complexity and instability of the laser propagation system, it is hard to predict the pulse shapes precisely by pure analytic methods based on the physical model [Frantz-Nodvik (F-N) equation]. Here, we present a data-driven model based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) for precise prediction. The neural network model introduces sixteen parameters neglected in the F-N equation based models to expand the representation dimension. The sensitivity analysis of the experimental results confirms that these parameters have different degrees of influence on the temporal output shapes and cannot be ignored. The network characterizes the whole physical process with commonality and specificity features to improve the description ability. The prediction accuracy evaluated by a root mean square of the proposed model is 7.93%, which is better compared to three optimized physical models. This study explores a nonanalytic methodology of combining prior physical knowledge with data-driven models to map the complex physical process by numerical models, which has strong representation capability and great potential to model other measurable processes in physical science. (C) 2022 Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Optica Open Access Publishing Agreement