Thermal blooming, also known as thermal lensing, is an atmospheric effect, seen in high energy laser beams;
It is the result of the nonlinear interaction of laser radiation with the wave propagation, propagation medium (e.g. air or glass), which is heated by the absorption (electromagnetic radiation), absorption of a fraction of the radiation, causing a "thermal lens" to form, with a dioptric power related to the intensity of the laser, among other factors. The amount of energy absorbed is a function of the laser wavelength. The term "thermal blooming" is often used to describe any type of self-induced "thermal distortion" of laser radiation.
See also
* Optical Kerr effect
References
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Laser science
Nonlinear optics
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