Coherent optical adaptive techniques: design and performance of an 18-element visible multidither COAT system
- 1 March 1976
- journal article
- Published by Optica Publishing Group in Applied Optics
- Vol. 15 (3), 611-621
- https://doi.org/10.1364/ao.15.000611
Abstract
Coherent Optical Adaptive Techniques (coat) offer promise for overcoming the deleterious effects of phase distortions experienced by optical beams propagating in a turbulent and absorbing atmosphere. An 18-element, visible wavelength, multidither coat system is described. The all solid-state servosystem design was based on the results of an extensive computer simulation. The optical system uses a 0.488-μm argon laser and an array of beam splitters, phase shifters, and beam combiners (termed a phasor matrix) to form the output array. To date, 6- and 8-element linear arrays and an 18-element axisymmetric array have been investigated. The system has demonstrated a convergence time of 1.2 msec and can form the array with a strehl ratio of 0.67. Moving glint tracking, multiple glint discrimination, and offset pointing from a fixed reference have been demonstrated. Good agreement has been observed between measured system results and theoretical predictions.Keywords
This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit:
- Thermal blooming compensation using coherent optical adaptive techniques (COAT)Applied Physics Letters, 1975
- Coherent Optical Adaptive TechniquesApplied Optics, 1974
- Compensation for Atmospheric Phase Effects at 106 μApplied Optics, 1970