Adaptive Optics for Nonlinear Atmospheric Propagation of Laser Pulses

Filamentation of ultra-short laser pulse propagation in non-linear media offers significant potentials allowing to address numerous problems in military and commercial sectors. However, practical implementation of this requires an ability to control the USLP at its propagation through inhomogeneous media, like turbulent atmosphere. On the basis of our approach for combating turbulence effects on propagating high power laser beams, AS&T proposes, during Phase I, to investigate the process of USLP propagation through the turbulent medium. The critical conditions for this process will be determined and the Adaptive Optics system that will provide controllable delivery of the USLP to a given position through turbulent media will be proposed. The critical component for this solution is the beacon availability and this problem will be solved by basis beaconless and target-in-the-loop approaches.