Feedforward compensation for target drift caused by shroud removal based on Kalman filter

The shroud, which protects the target, retracts seconds before laser shooting, a process that inadvertently induces target drift, thus compromising alignment with the laser. We established an experimental framework, employing a laser interferometer of picometric precision, to monitor the target’s displacement during the shroud’s retraction.

To counteract the target drift from the shroud’s motion, we implemented a feedforward compensation strategy grounded in Kalman filter theory, which ensures the target remains within the acceptable alignment error margins relative to the target chamber center post-shroud retraction. This approach bolsters the cryogenic target system’s stability, thereby improving the likelihood of successful laser fusion ignition.