System and method for effecting high-power beam control with adaptive optics in low power beam path
US6809307B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 28, 2001 |
| Grant date | Oct 26, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 28, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B27/4233
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A beam control system and method which utilizes the wavefront reversal property of nonlinear optical phase conjugation to permit incorporation of a liquid crystal OPA within the low power legs of the beam control system, thereby affording the advantages of the OPA without the power limitations thereof. The invention is adapted for use with a beacon for illuminating a target with a first beam of electromagnetic energy. The system includes a telescope (1010) for receiving a target return comprising a reflection of the first beam from the target. An optical phased array (1050) is included for correcting for aberrations in the wavefront of the target return. A mechanism is included for ascertaining the correction applied by the optical phased array to the target return. The mechanism applies the correction to a third beam which ultimately is the output beam. In the illustrative embodiment, the first beam of electromagnetic energy is optical energy and the mechanism includes a first phase conjugate mirror (1091) adapted to conjugate electromagnetic energy output by the third mechanism and a second phase conjugate mirror (1092) adapted to conjugate the output of the first phase conjugate…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.