Invention:
A Rayleigh-Raman polychromatic laser guide star is implemented in an adaptive optics system to allow for the measurement of the tilt at the wavelength of observation. This technology makes use of the dispersion of the refractive index of and on or more differential tilt measurements at multiple wavelengths returned from the Rayleigh-Raman spectrum.
Background:
Adaptive optics systems require wavefront tilt compensation. Existing tilt measurement systems rely on light from a source that traverses the medium in a single. Laser guide stars create a reference source anywhere in the field of view to enable a wavefront measurement through turbulence. However, many existing laser guide stars cannot act as a tilt measurement reference source due to the double pass nature of the reference light. The technology is an improvement upon current technologies and will allow for the measurement of the tilt at the wavelength of observation. This method is scalable and offers flexibility in selecting multiple lasers of different wavelengths to measure from.
Applications:
- Satellite imaging
- Advanced imaging systems
- Free space optical communication
- Laser weapons
Advantages:
- Flexibility
- Increased range
- Scalability
