Detection and correction of stair mode across an optical phased array

A conceptual system capable of detecting the occurrence of stair mode across an optical array has been developed and studied. This conceptual system utilizes a single camera, referred to as the stair mode imager, to image the irradiance pattern produced at the target. The collected image is then cross-correlated with a database of theoretical stair mode images to estimate the amount of stair mode across the array. Previous studies have been limited to computer simulations and are expanded here into hardware-based experimentation. These experiments further study the effects of stair mode and are aimed at validating previous simulation findings and further characterizing the ability and constraints of the stair mode imager.