title: High-speed horizontal-path atmospheric turbulence correction with a large-actuator-number microelectromechanical system spatial light modulator in an interferometric phase-conjugation engine.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550-9234, USA. baker7@llnl.gov
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Stappaerts
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gavel
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Wilks
authors.forename: J
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authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: D A
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authors.lastname: Silva
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authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Olivier
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Kartz
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Flath
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kruelevitch
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Azucena