Beacon Modulation Tomography for Compensation in Deep Turbulence

The applicability of adaptive optical systems remains limited today by the inability to solve the problem of compensation for the effects of turbulence in the near-deep (Rytov numbers from 0.4 to 1.0) and deep (Rytov numbers greater than 1.0) turbulence regimes with an extended, non-cooperative target. In these turbulence regimes, the combined effects of beacon anisoplanatism and laser speckle make estimation of the branch point contribution to the phase function extremely difficult. Recent work by Barchers indicates that the most likely solution path is to develop a tomographic estimate of the turbulence along the propagation path, and then using this estimate, develop the optimal control commands to maximize power on the target. Nutronics, Inc. proposes an innovative approach merging phased array technology to form controlled laser beacons at the target. The multiplicity of beacons formed from the phased array can then be used to form a tomographic estimate of the turbulence along the path. Should the proposed effort be successful, there are many potential commercial and defense applications in the area of high energy lasers and long range remote sensing.