High-speed horizontal-path atmospheric turbulence correction with a large-actuator-number microelectromechanical system spatial light modulator in an interferometric phase-conjugation engine.
Results of atmospheric propagation for a high-speed, large-actuator-number adaptive optics system are presented. The system uses a microelectromechanical system- (MEMS-) based spatial light modulator correction device with 1024 actuators. Tests over a 1.35-km path achieved correction speeds in excess of 800 Hz and Strehl ratios close to 0.5. The wave-front sensor was based on a quadrature interferometer that directly measures phase. This technique does not require global wave-front reconstruction, making it relatively insensitive to scintillation and phase residues. The results demonstrate the potential of large-actuator-number MEMS-based spatial light modulators to replace conventional deformable mirrors.
Baker
K L
KL
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550-9234, USA. baker7@llnl.gov
Stappaerts
E A
EA
Gavel
D
D
Wilks
S C
SC
Tucker
J
J
Silva
D A
DA
Olsen
J
J
Olivier
S S
SS
Young
P E
PE
Kartz
M W
MW
Flath
L M
LM
Kruelevitch
P
P
Crawford
J
J
Azucena
Oscar
O