Adaptive optics correction over a 3km near horizontal path

  • Ruth Mackey
  • , Chris Dainty

Research output: Chapter in Book or Conference Publication/ProceedingConference Publicationpeer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We present results of adaptive optics compensation at the receiver of a 3km optical link using a beacon laser operating at 635nm. The laser is transmitted from the roof of a seven-storey building over a near horizontal path towards a 127 mm optical receiver located on the second-floor of the Applied Optics Group at the National University of Ireland, Galway. The wavefront of the scintillated beam is measured using a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor (SHWFS) with high-speed CMOS camera capable of frame rates greater than 1kHz. The strength of turbulence is determined from the fluctuations in differential angle-of-arrival in the wavefront sensor measurements and from the degree of scintillation in the pupil plane. Adaptive optics compensation is applied using a tip-tilt mirror and 37 channel membrane mirror and controlled using a single desktop computer. The performance of the adaptive optics system in real turbulence is compared with the performance of the system in a controlled laboratory environment, where turbulence is generated using a liquid crystal spatial light modulator.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationOptics in Atmospheric Propagation and Adaptive Systems XI
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2008
EventOptics in Atmospheric Propagation and Adaptive Systems XI - Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Duration: 16 Sep 200818 Sep 2008

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume7108
ISSN (Print)0277-786X

Conference

ConferenceOptics in Atmospheric Propagation and Adaptive Systems XI
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityCardiff, Wales
Period16/09/0818/09/08

Keywords

  • Adaptive optics
  • Scintillation
  • Strong turbulence

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