INTEGRATED ADAPTIVE OPTICS APPARATUS

Assignee

Filed

Nov 10, 1989

Granted

Feb 25, 1992

Location

MALIBU CA US

Abstract

An integrated adaptive optics apparatus for processing wavefront errors. In a preferred embodiment, a modified liquid crystal light valve (LCLV) is used as an integrated wavefront sensing and wavefront control system. A remote reference aberrated wavefront 10, passed through the liquid crystal layer and reflected, is then fed-back in part to the rear surface of the liquid crystal light valve 12, after combination with a local reference plane wave 16. The resulting interference pattern is incident on the photosensitive layer 26 of the LCLV, causes commensurate index changes in the liquid crystal layer, and adapts the LCLV for performing aberration correction. In an alternative embodiment, a second laser beam 11 may be predistorted by passing it through the adapted liquid crystal layer in order to compensate in advance for atmospheric path disturbances. The present invention provides an adaptive optics correction system having high spatial resolution. Alternate embodiments for wavefront scrubbing and wavefront replication are also disclosed.

Source: Google Patents