Atmospheric Compensation with a Speckle Beacon Under Strong Scintillation Conditions: Directed Energy and Laser Communication Applications

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-20-2005

Publication Source

Applied Optics

Abstract

Wavefront control experiments in strong scintillation conditions (scintillation index, ≃1) over a 2.33 km, near-horizontal, atmospheric propagation path are presented. The adaptive-optics system used comprises a tracking and a fast-beam-steering mirror as well as a 132-actuator, microelectromechanical-system, piston-type deformable mirror with a VLSI controller that implements stochastic parallel gradient descent control optimization of a system performance metric. The experiments demonstrate mitigation of atmospheric distortions with a speckle beacon typical for directed energy and free-space laser communication applications.

Inclusive pages

6388-6400

ISBN/ISSN

1559-128X

Comments

One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modifications of the content of this paper are prohibited.

Permission documentation on file.

Publisher

Optical Society of America

Volume

44

Issue

30

Place of Publication

Washington, DC

Peer Reviewed

yes


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