Fast steering mirror implementation for reduction of focal-spot wander in a long-distance free-space optical communication link

Michele R. Suite; Harris R. Burris; Christopher I. Moore; Michael J. Vilcheck; Rita Mahon; Carmen Jackson; Mena F. Stell; Mark A. Davis; William S. Rabinovich; William J. Scharpf; Anne E. Reed; G. Charmaine Gilbreath

doi:10.1117/12.507701

27 January 2004 Fast steering mirror implementation for reduction of focal-spot wander in a long-distance free-space optical communication link

Michele R. Suite, Harris R. Burris, Christopher I. Moore, Michael J. Vilcheck, Rita Mahon, Carmen Jackson, Mena F. Stell, Mark A. Davis, William S. Rabinovich, William J. Scharpf, Anne E. Reed, G. Charmaine Gilbreath

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5160, Free-Space Laser Communication and Active Laser Illumination III; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.507701
Event: Optical Science and Technology, SPIE's 48th Annual Meeting, 2003, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

One of the causes of power loss in a free-space optical communication link is beam motion or received spot wander. The power spectrum of the spot motion indicates that most of the frequency content is less than ~500 Hz. A fast steering mirror (FSM) controlled by a position-sensing detector (PSD) has the potential to correct for a significant portion of the focal spot position fluctuations and thus the power loss. A FSM controlled with a Germanium PSD was installed on the receiver of the NRL Chesapeake Bay free-space lasercomm test facility. Results are presented from the initial tests performed using this system to measure and correct for wander of an optical beam propagated across the bay (20 mile round-trip).

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Michele R. Suite, Harris R. Burris, Christopher I. Moore, Michael J. Vilcheck, Rita Mahon, Carmen Jackson, Mena F. Stell, Mark A. Davis, William S. Rabinovich, William J. Scharpf, Anne E. Reed, and G. Charmaine Gilbreath "Fast steering mirror implementation for reduction of focal-spot wander in a long-distance free-space optical communication link", Proc. SPIE 5160, Free-Space Laser Communication and Active Laser Illumination III, (27 January 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.507701

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