Recent results for visible Rayleigh guide-star atmospheric experiments

David G. Sandler; Edward Louis Cuellar; Michael J. LeFebvre; Todd K. Barrett; Robert L. Arnold; Steven M. Stahl

doi:10.1117/12.152686

25 August 1993 Recent results for visible Rayleigh guide-star atmospheric experiments

David G. Sandler, Edward Louis Cuellar, Michael J. LeFebvre, Todd K. Barrett, Robert L. Arnold, Steven M. Stahl

Proceedings Volume 1920, Active and Adaptive Optical Components and Systems II; (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.152686
Event: 1993 North American Conference on Smart Structures and Materials, 1993, Albuquerque, NM, United States

Abstract

We report on the operation and performance of a complete integrated 1 m adaptive optics systems for compensation of atmospheric distortion of optical wavefronts. Both visible artificial laser guide stars (doubled Nd:YAG laser with wavelength of 0.532 micrometers ) and natural stars can be used as sources for reference wavefronts. A polarization shearing interferometer which uses a narrow optical bandwidth and has 500 subapertures is employed to sense wavefront distortion. These measurements are used to compute a conjugate wavefront to the distorted input light. The computed conjugate is then imprinted on a deformable mirror which consists of 500 individual square mirror segments. The effectiveness of the compensation is determined from a measured PSF of the system. Both indoor benchtop and atmospheric experiments are under way to test the performance of the integrated system. The results of these tests so far are very promising, yielding short-exposure images at 0.532 microns which contain discernible energy at the diffraction limit of 0.1 arcsec.

Citation Download Citation

David G. Sandler, Edward Louis Cuellar, Michael J. LeFebvre, Todd K. Barrett, Robert L. Arnold, and Steven M. Stahl "Recent results for visible Rayleigh guide-star atmospheric experiments", Proc. SPIE 1920, Active and Adaptive Optical Components and Systems II, (25 August 1993); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.152686

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