United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Janet S Fender

Richard A Carreras

Dennis C Duneman

Christopher R DeHainaut

Salvatore J Cusumano

Sergio Restaino

Petras V Avizonis

Gordon D Love

Robert R Butts

Large space-based optical systems are expected to produce optical beams with large wavefront phase aberrations due to their size, weight limitations, optical misaligments and primary mirror imperfections. The present invention combines a phase diversity wavefront sensor with a real-time programmable two-dimensional array of liquid crystal variable retarders for wavefront correction.

Liquid crystal active optics correction for large space based optical

A dynamically matched optical filter is formed within a multiple telescope optical imaging system. Entrance and exit pupil geometries, the phases and tilts of multiple imaging paths and system alignments are sensed and controlled to allow wide field of view imaging and the enhancement or suppression of certain spatial frequencies of interest.

Dynamically matched optical filtering in a multiple telescope imaging

An apparatus and technique are described for phasing the outputs of a multiplier telescope array used as a laser transmitter. The technique uses samples of the transmitted beams to control optical path lengths through the separate telescopes so that the beams add coherently at the receiver. The phasing concept is applicable both to systems which provide inputs to the multiple telescopes by dividing a single laser beam and to systems in which the inputs to the telescopes and multiple, phase-locked laser beams. The approach is also compatible with single line and multi-line lasers, and it does not entail stringent alignment requirements. The concept uses a procedure to find the zero optical path difference condition and to effect fine control of the optical path lengths through the different telescopes. Algorithms are described for estimating the phase mismatch from focal plane measurements.

Optically phased laser transmitter

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Albuquerque, NM, United States of America

Janet S Fender