Adaptive-optics compensation in a Raman amplifier configuration

Author

Higgs, C. ; Russell, J.A. ; Trainor, D.W. ; Roberts, T. ; Player, B.E. ; Smith, M.J.

Author_Institution

MIT Lincoln Lab., Lexington, MA

Volume

26

Issue

5

fYear

1990

fDate

5/1/1990 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

934

Lastpage

941

Abstract

An experimental study of real-time adaptive compensation through a high-gain Raman amplifier is discussed. Atmospheric turbulence was simulated by selectively aberrated quartz plates designed to produce a turbulence-like phasefront distortion on a transmitted beacon. A 69-channel wavefront sensor measured the beacon´s phasefront and commanded a deformable mirror to impose the conjugate phasefront on the Stokes seed to a high-gain, large-Fresnel-number Raman amplifier. After amplification, the output Stokes beam was made to retrace the path of the beacon back through the simulated turbulence. Measurements of the Stokes beam quality indicate a dramatic improvement to near-diffraction-limited performance. The experimental results are in good agreement with theory

Keywords

Raman lasers; adaptive optics; optical phase conjugation; 69-channel wavefront sensor; Stokes beam quality; Stokes seed; atmospheric turbulence; conjugate phasefront; deformable mirror; high gain large Fresnel number Raman amplifier; output Stokes beam; real-time adaptive compensation; selectively aberrated quartz plates; simulated turbulence; transmitted beacon; turbulence-like phasefront distortion; Distortion measurement; Laboratories; Laser beams; Laser noise; Mirrors; Optical amplifiers; Optical distortion; Phase distortion; Phase measurement; Stimulated emission;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/3.55535

Filename

55535