Error sources and their impact on the performance of dual-wedge beam steering systems

This paper presents analytical and numerical results that elucidate the impact of error sources on the performance of dual-wedge beam steering systems. Different types of error sources are considered. Specifically, we investigate optical distortions in the pattern scanned out by a single ray through...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied optics (2004) 2012-06, Vol.51 (18), p.4168-4175
Main Authors: Horng, Jing-Shyang, Li, Yajun
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accuracy
Beam steering
Beams (radiation)
Deflection
Error analysis
Errors
Ray tracing
Wedges
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Summary:This paper presents analytical and numerical results that elucidate the impact of error sources on the performance of dual-wedge beam steering systems. Different types of error sources are considered. Specifically, we investigate optical distortions in the pattern scanned out by a single ray through a pair of rotatable wedge elements with slightly different parameters. Case examples are given to reveal the difference between the distorted patterns and the patterns produced by a pair of perfectly equal wedge elements. Furthermore, nonparaxial ray tracing is performed to investigate the impact of assembly errors on the accuracy of steering a laser beam to a remote target. We found that a misalignment in a bearing axis of rotation with respect to the system optical axis will result in a change of beam deflection off-axis that gives rise to a severe decrease of pointing accuracy to a level well below the level that a tilted wedge prism may attain.
ISSN:1559-128X
2155-3165
DOI:10.1364/AO.51.004168