Method and apparatus for thermally stable operation of aods

A system, comprising:

• a first AOD operative to diffract an incident beam of laser light to thereby produce and output therefrom a first beam of laser light and a second beam of laser light;
• a second AOD arranged to receive the first beam of laser light and operative to diffract the received first beam of laser light to thereby produce and output therefrom a third beam of laser light;
• at least one first beam trap arranged and configured to absorb the second beam of laser light output from the first AOD;
• at least one exercise beam trap arranged and configured to absorb the third beam of laser light output from the second AOD;
• and
• a controller communicatively coupled to the first AOD and to the second AOD, wherein the controller is configured to command a first RF driver to apply a first drive signal to a transducer of the first AOD and command a second RF driver to apply a second drive signal to a transducer of the second AOD, wherein the controller is operative to:
• during a high state of a laser trigger command, operate the first AOD to diffract the incident beam of laser light along an exercise beam path to the second AOD, the second AOD configured to diffract the beam of laser light from the first AOD along an exercise beam path to an exercise beam trap, by applying a drive signal to a transducer of the first AOD and applying a drive signal to the second AOD, wherein the drive signal is modulated through a range of RF frequencies, thereby controlling a temperature gradient within the first AOD and the second AOD.