Atmospheric laser communication system with wide-angle tracking and adaptive compensation

G. W. Carhart; M. A. Vorontsov; L. A. Beresnev; P. S. Paicopolis; F. K. Beil

doi:10.1117/12.618363

12 September 2005 Atmospheric laser communication system with wide-angle tracking and adaptive compensation

G. W. Carhart, M. A. Vorontsov, L. A. Beresnev, P. S. Paicopolis, F. K. Beil

Proceedings Volume 5892, Free-Space Laser Communications V; 589211 (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.618363
Event: Optics and Photonics 2005, 2005, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

An adaptive laser communication system capable of minimizing the impact of atmospherically induced tip-tilt and defocus distortions and tracking an optical antenna mounted on a mobile platform is presented. The laser communication system consists of two independently operating adaptive optical transceivers mounted on wide angle pan-tilt gimbals that each transmit and receive optical data propagating on a single bidirectional laser beam. Each optical antenna incorporates a 3-channel tip-tilt and defocus adaptive mirror constructed at the Army Research Laboratory. The adaptive mirror control system of each optical transceiver is based on phase control of the outgoing wavefront by stochastic parallel gradient descent optimization of the optical power received by the other optical transceiver. A tracking capability of an optical transceiver mounted on a mobile platform is implemnted by using the pan-tilt control signals of each adaptive mirror to define signals that drive the pan-tilt axes of the gimbal on which the adaptive mirror is mounted. System performance in the presence of laboratory generated turbulence is characterized and reported. Results demonstrate that the adaptive laser communication system can reduce signal fading induced by atmospheric tip-tilt distortions and improve the concentration of laser beam energy delivered to each optical transceiver and therefore reduce system bit error rates.

Citation Download Citation

G. W. Carhart, M. A. Vorontsov, L. A. Beresnev, P. S. Paicopolis, and F. K. Beil "Atmospheric laser communication system with wide-angle tracking and adaptive compensation", Proc. SPIE 5892, Free-Space Laser Communications V, 589211 (12 September 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.618363

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