METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR STABILIZATION OF WAVELENGTH-SELECTIVE OPTICAL ELEMENTS DURING TRANSIENT LASER OPERATIONS

Methods, devices and systems are described that enable maintaining the temperature of an optical component at a target temperature despite transient fluctuations in the laser beam that illuminates the component. One example method includes preheating the optical component to a target temperature value by applying an external heat source to the optical component. The optical component has an initial thermal resistance and heat sink temperature while being preheated. Next, the laser is turned on, and the external heat source is removed or reduced, while changing one or both the thermal resistance or heat sink temperature from their initial values to lower values to maintain a temperature of the optical component at the target temperature value while the laser source is illuminating the optical component.