Breadboard testing of a phase-conjugate engine with an interferometric wave-front sensor and a microelectromechanical systems-based spatial light modulator

Laboratory breadboard results of a high-speed adaptive-optics system are presented. The wave-front sensor for the adaptive-optics system is based on a quadrature interferometer, which directly measures the turbulence-induced phase aberrations. The spatial light modulator used in the phase-conjugate...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied optics (2004) 2004-10, Vol.43 (30), p.5585-5593
Main Authors: Baker, Kevin L, Stappaerts, Eddy A, Gavel, Don, Wilks, Scott C, Tucker, Jack, Silva, Dennis A, Olsen, Jeff, Olivier, Scot S, Young, Peter E, Kartz, Mike W, Flath, Laurence M, Krulevitch, Peter, Crawford, Jackie, Azucena, Oscar
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Laboratory breadboard results of a high-speed adaptive-optics system are presented. The wave-front sensor for the adaptive-optics system is based on a quadrature interferometer, which directly measures the turbulence-induced phase aberrations. The spatial light modulator used in the phase-conjugate engine was a microelectromechanical systems-based piston-only correction device with 1024 actuators. Laboratory experiments were conducted with this system utilizing Kolmogorov phase screens to simulate atmospheric phase distortions. The adaptive-optics system achieved correction speeds in excess of 800 Hz and Strehl ratios greater than 0.5 with the Kolmogorov phase screens.
ISSN:1559-128X
DOI:10.1364/AO.43.005585