A scalable wavefront control approach based upon proven liquid crystal (LC) spatial light modulator (SLM) technology was extended for potential use in high-energy near-infrared laser applications. With use of an ultra-low absorption transparent conductor in the LC SLM and materials with better physical properties, the laser power handling capability of the device was improved. The experimental results are reported regarding a LC SLM functioning as a wavefront control device under illumination of a kilo-watt laser source. Compared to conventional deformable mirrors, this non-mechanical wavefront control approach offers substantial improvements in speed (bandwidth), resolution, power consumption and system weight/volume, and the zero-coupling between pixels enables a fast feed-forward wavefront correction scheme.
OSSim (Optical System Simulation) is a wave-optics, time-domain simulation toolbox with both optical and data processing components developed for adaptive optics (AO) systems. Diffractive wavefront control elements have recently been added that accurately model optically and electrically addressed spatial light modulators as real time holographic (RTH) devices in diffractive wavefront control systems. The developed RTH toolbox has found multiple applications for a variety of Boeing programs in solving problems of AO system analysis and design. Several complex diffractive wavefront control systems have been modeled for compensation of static and dynamic aberrations such as imperfect segmented primary mirrors and atmospheric and boundary layer turbulence. The results of OSSim simulations of RTH wavefront compensation show very good agreement with available experimental data.
Large deployable space-based optical systems will likely require complex structure position controls in conjunction with an adaptive optic to maintain optical tolerances necessary for near diffraction-limited performance. A real- time holographic (RTH) compensation system can greatly reduce the requirements and complexity of the position control system and enable the use of novel or imperfect optical components for large mirror surfaces. A hologram of the distorted primary is recorded with a local beacon at 532 nm (approximately 100 nJ/exposure) on an optically addressed spatial light modulator and transferred as a phase grating to a ferroelectric liquid crystal layer. The hologram is played back with target light containing the same optical distortion. A corrected image is obtained in the conjugate diffracted order where the phase of the optical distortion is subtracted from the distorted image. We report recent test results and analysis of a RTH- compensated deformed mirror of 0.75 m diameter. The short exposure hologram is recorded at video frequencies (30 Hz) at bandwidths up to 5 kHz. Correction for tens of waves of static and dynamic optical distortions including mechanical and thermal warp, mechanical vibration, and air turbulence are shown for monochromatic (532 nm) and broadband (532 +/- 40 nm) illuminated targets. We also report on the generation of blazed gratings in electrically addressed spatial light modulators to achieve greatly enhanced diffraction efficiencies and to perform beam steering.
Large deployable space-based optical systems will likely require complex structure position controls in conjunction with an adaptive optic to maintain optical tolerances necessary for near diffraction-limited performance. A real- time holographic (RTH) compensation system can greatly reduce the requirements and complexity of the position control system and enable the use of novel or imperfect optical components for large mirror surfaces. A hologram of the distorted primary is recorded with a local beacon at 532 nm (approximately 100 nJ/exposure) on an optically addressed spatial light modulator and transferred as a phase grating to a ferroelectric liquid crystal layer. The hologram is played back with target light containing the same optical distortion. A corrected image is obtained in the conjugate diffracted order where the phase of the optical distortion is subtracted from the distorted image. We report recent test results and analysis of a RTH-compensated deformed mirror of 0.75 m diameter. The short exposure hologram is recorded at video frequencies (30 Hz) at bandwidths up to 5 kHz. Correction for tens of waves of static and dynamic optical distortions including mechanical and thermal warp, mechanical vibration, and air turbulence are shown for monochromatic (532 nm) and broadband (532 +/- 40 nm) illuminated targets.
A three-wave mixing crystal is an anisotropic material. To model beam propagation through such a medium, one must have a propagator which includes the anisotropic effects, such as walkoff, in addition to the usual diffraction effect. This requirement leads to the specific exponential forms appearing in the set of coupled differential equations we use to model the nonlinear coupling. In this paper, three coupled beams in two transverse dimensions (i.e., with arbitrary initial cross sections) are propagated through an anisotropic three-wave mixing crystal with their bulk absorption and surface losses included. We present the theory of anisotropic propagation and the field coupling of three wave-mixing, including phase matching/mismatching. Results from the full numerical simulations are compared with experimental data. Our numerical approach avoids a number of simplifications common in analytical treatments, thereby providing more realistic modeling of experimental situations.
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