Adaptive Correction of Laser Beam Aberration On Atmospheric Paths

Abstract

We consider here adaptive (phase conjugation) optical system for the correction of non-linear distortion with the independent reference beam. We can use either cooperative beacon from independent source, either glint on the target surface, either natural guide star, or artificial guide star, formed using atmospheric scattering of the light. First of all we will consider "exact" phase conjugation and "phase unwrapping" technique. Phase conjugation algorithm allows significantly decrease the atmospheric aberrations due to the thermal blooming and the atmospheric turbulence both for vertical and horizontal paths.