随机并行梯度下降光束净化实验研究

利用自适应光学技术进行光束净化是高能激光系统中一项重要的研究内容.为实现光束净化系统的小型化和低成本,基于系统性能评价函数无模型最优化的波前畸变校正方法是适合的技术方案.就随机并行梯度下降(SPGD)最优化算法在光束净化系统中的应用展开研究.针对高能激光束常见的像差分布进行了SPGD波前校正的数值模拟,在此基础上构建了37单元自适应光学光束净化实验平台,讨论了双边扰动梯度估计和迭代增益系数自适应变化对算法收敛特性的影响.数值模拟与实验结果验证了SPGD算法对不同程度波前畸变的校正能力,表明了SPGD光束净化方案的可行性.     

Numerical and experimental study on coherent beam combining of fibre amplifiers using simulated annealing algorithm

We present the numerical and experimental study on the coherent beam combining of fibre amplifiers by means of simulated annealing (SA) algorithm. The feasibility is validated by the Monte Carlo simulation of correcting static phase distortion using SA algorithm. The performance of SA algorithm under time-varying phase noise is numerically studied by dynamic simulation. It is revealed that the influence of phase noise on the performance of SA algorithm gets stronger with an increase in amplitude or frequency of phase noise; and the laser array that contains more lasers will be more affected from phase noise. The performance of SA algorithm for coherent beam combining is also compared with a widely used stochastic optimization algorithm, i.e., the stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) algorithm. In a proof-of-concept experiment we demonstrate the coherent beam combining of two 1083~nm fibre amplifiers with a total output power of 12~W and 93% combining efficiency. The contrast of the far-field coherently combined beam profiles is calculated to be as high as 95%.     

光纤激光相干合成高速高精度相位控制器

基于随机并行梯度下降算法（SPGD）和现场可编程逻辑阵列（FPGA）设计制作了相干合成（CBC）相位控制器。理论分析表明,该控制器单次迭代速率大于1.125 MHz,对于2路和16路相干合成,其平均控制带宽的理论值分别大于70 kHz和9 kHz,与现有的SPGD算法相位控制器相比有了量级上的提高。利用该控制器进行了验证性实验,表明该控制器能够实现高速高精度相位控制。当利用相位控制器对两路激光的相位进行锁定时,目标圆孔内能量提高了1.51倍,远场光斑对比度提高了5.29倍。     

Coherent beam combining of pulsed fiber lasers with hybrid phase control

We demonstrate a scalable architecture for coherent combining of all-fiber pulsed lasers with hybrid phase control involving passive phasing and active phasing for the first time. Synchronized and passive phased pulsed laser array is built by intra-activity phase modulation. Active phase control on the passive phased pulsed laser array using stochastic parallel gradient descent algorithm provides stable in-phase coherent beam combining pattern in a turbulent atmosphere. The fringe visibility is increased from 0 two 0.43 and the power encircled in the main-lobe is 1.616 times increased when the system evolves from passive phasing to hybrid phasing. The architecture can be easily scaled up to high power by increasing power of each individual laser, number of laser elements and introduction of power amplifiers, which will lead a promising way for scaleable high power coherent beam combining of pulsed lasers.     

Coherent beam combining of hybrid phase control in master oscillator-power amplifier configuration

A novel scalable architecture for coherent beam combining with hybrid phase control involving passive phasing and active phasing in master oscillator-power amplifier configuration is presented. Wide-linewidth mutually injected passive phasing fibre laser arrays serve as master oscillators for the power amplifiers, and the active phasing using stochastic parallel gradient descent algorithm is induced. Wide-linewidth seed laser can suppress the stimulated Brillouin scattering effectively and improve the output power of the fibre laser amplifier, while hybrid phase control provides a robust way for in-phase mode coherent beam combining simultaneously. Experiment is performed by active phasing fibre laser amplifiers with passive phasing fibre ring laser array seed lasers. Power encircled in the main-lobe increases1.57 times and long-exposure fringe contrast is obtained to be 78% when the system evolves from passive phasing to hybrid phasing.     

基于并行梯度下降算法模拟高功率固体激光装置的相干合成

 多路光的相干合成是高功率固体激光装置的关键技术之一。基于合成模型,对4组tilt/tip-piston镜采用并行梯度算法,通过模拟计算实现了光束间的位相锁定和相干合成。结果表明有限次算法迭代次数内,相干合成时远场焦斑10 μm半径范围内的强度比约为非相干合成时的4倍。基于高频响应驱动器和对应的高速控制算法将有可能实现高功率固体激光装置多路输出光束间的相干合成。     

基于随机并行梯度下降算法的光束相干合成技术

介绍了随机并行梯度下降算法的基本原理,对算法流程进行了仿真验证,并对其中随机扰动幅度和增益系数两个关键参数进行了仿真分析。分析结果表明,这两个参数存在一个最适区间,只有在此区间内取值时算法才能有效收敛。以仿真分析为依据开展了光纤激光的相干合成实验,结果表明光束相干合成效果显著,有效地验证了仿真分析的结果。     

On the possibility of phasing subapertures with a Zernike cell and an optically addressed spatial light modulator

The possibility of phasing a large number of subapertures with a spatial light modulator optically addressed by the output beam of a Zernike interferometer is investigated theoretically. The optimum parameters of the system, the requirements for its elements, the range of compensated distortions upon phasing, and the phasing quality are determined. It is demonstrated that the proposed technique allows one to compensate effectively for the wavefront distortions of the piston difference, the tilt, and the curvature type with a total depth of the phase relief up to 8λ. In this case, it is possible to obtain a beam with a Strehl ratio larger than 0.8.     

两路120 W固体激光高光束质量相干合成

通过主动相位控制实现了两路固体激光器的高光束质量相干合成输出,总输出功率达到240W。建立了两路120W板条激光放大器,通过光束整形获得了高光束质量方形光斑,并实现了高占空比光束拼接,填充因子高于92.4%。研制了光轴一致性探测与控制系统,采用基于压电陶瓷的快反镜实现了光轴的高精度闭环控制,两束激光光轴一致性优于2μrad(RMS)。设计了基于现场可编程门阵列(FPGA)的相位探测与控制系统,用随机并行梯度下降算法(SPGD)锁定了两束激光的活塞相位。相位闭环后,远场光斑峰值提高到开环状态的1.7倍,为理想值的84%。合成光束主瓣包含67%的激光总能量,光束质量(BQ)为1.1。     

Adaptive optics correction based on stochastic parallel gradient descent technique under various atmospheric scintillation conditions: numerical simulation

An adaptive optics system utilizing a Shack–Hartmann wavefront sensor and a deformable mirror can successfully correct a distorted wavefront by the conjugation principle. However, if a wave propagates over such a path that scintillation is not negligible, the appearance of branch points makes least-squares reconstruction fail to estimate the wavefront effectively. An adaptive optics technique based on the stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) control algorithm is an alternative approach which does not need wavefront information but optimizes the performance metric directly. Performance was evaluated by simulating a SPGD control system and conventional adaptive correction with least-squares reconstruction in the context of a laser beam projection system. We also examined the relative performance of coping with branch points by the SPGD technique through an example. All studies were carried out under the conditions of assuming the systems have noise-free measurements and infinite time control bandwidth. Results indicate that the SPGD adaptive system always performs better than the system based on the least-squares wavefront reconstruction technique in the presence of relatively serious intensity scintillations. The reason is that the SPGD adaptive system has the ability of compensating a discontinuous phase, although the phase is not detected and reconstructed.     

Active coherent beam combining of diode lasers

We have demonstrated active coherent beam combination (CBC) of up to 218 semiconductor amplifiers with 38.5?W cw output using up to eleven one-dimensional 21-element individually addressable diode amplifier arrays operating at 960?nm. The amplifier array elements are slab-coupled-optical-waveguide semiconductor amplifiers (SCOWAs) set up in a master-oscillator-power-amplifier configuration. Diffractive optical elements divide the master-oscillator beam to seed multiple arrays of SCOWAs. A SCOWA was phase actuated by adjusting the drive current to each element and controlled using a stochastic-parallel-gradient-descent (SPGD) algorithm for the active CBC. The SPGD is a hill-climbing algorithm that maximizes on-axis intensity in the far field, providing phase locking without needing a reference beam.     

The possibility of compensating small-scale wavefront distortions with a Zernike cell and a spatial light modulator in an optical feedback scheme

The possibility of compensating small-scale wavefront distortions in an optical feedback scheme by using a spatial light modulator optically addressed by the output beam of a Zernike cell is theoretically considered. The optimal parameters of the system for compensating sinusoidal distortions and distortions characteristic of phasing of subapertures, the requirements for the elements of the system, the range of compensated distortions, and the quality of compensation are determined. It is shown that the use of this method makes it possible to compensate small-scale phase distortions with a peak-to-peak amplitude of up to 3λ; in this case, the gain in the Strehl number can be as high as 80.     

基于随机并行梯度下降算法光纤激光相干合成的高精度相位控制系统

随机并行梯度下降(SPGD)算法是实现大功率主振荡功率放大器相干合成的有效手段之一.分析了SPGD算法用于相干合成的基本原理,设计了基于SPGD算法的相位控制系统,给出了基于该SPGD控制器的相干合成实验结果.理论分析表明,SPGD算法控制器的迭代速率为200kHz,对于两路相干合成的平均控制带宽大于12.5kHz,最优控制精度可达1/179个波长.实验表明,SPGD控制器能够实现高速的相位控制.在相位噪声幅度大于1/10个波长、频率为3kHz的情况下,有效地实现了两路激光的相位锁定,相位残差控制在1/25个波长内.     

32路光纤激光相干阵列的相位锁定

报道了32路光纤激光相干阵列的相位锁定实验研究。搭建了32路光纤激光相干阵列实验系统,基于现场可编程逻辑阵列(FPGA)设计制作了高速高精度相位控制器。当相位控制器执行随机并行梯度下降(SPGD)算法对各路激光的相位进行锁定时,相干阵列输出的激光功率与不进行相位锁定时相比提高了约26倍。     

自适应光学中SPGD算法关键参数实时调节方法

介绍了随机并行梯度下降（SPGD）算法及其在相干合成中的应用,针对实验中算法关键参数难以调节的难点,提出采用软硬件结合的新方式,实现对实验数据的在线采集和分析以及对SPGD算法关键参数的自动实时调节。开展了4路光纤激光相干合成实验,对不同调节方法进行对比。实验中采用新方式有效调节了SPGD算法中增益系数和随机扰动幅度的取值,合成效果显著。     

Adaptive correction of vortex laser beam in a closed-loop system with phase only liquid crystal spatial light modulator

We propose and demonstrate the wave front correction of a vortex laser beam by using dual phase only liquid crystal spatial light modulators (LC-SLMs) and a stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) algorithm. One phase only LC-SLM is used to generate vortex laser beam by loading spiral phase screen onto the wave front of input quasi-Gaussian beam. The other phase only LC-SLM under SPGD controller based on the subzone control method adaptively compensates the wave front of vortex laser beam. Numerical simulation and experimental results show that after correction, vortex doughnut like beam is focused into a beam with airy disk pattern distribution in the far field. The adaptive corrections of vortex laser beam with different optical topological charges are studied. The results show that the optical topological charge has little influence on adaptive correction. The powers in the main lobe of far field intensity distributions of vortex laser beams with different optical topological charges are all greatly improved by adaptive correction. The technique proposed in this paper can be used in optical communication, relay mirror and atmospheric turbulence correction.     

基于分区域耦合的随机并行梯度下降自适应光学

基于随机并行梯度下降(SPGD)方法的自适应光学(AO)系统通过直接优化系统的性能评价函数来控制波前校正器以补偿光束中存在的波前畸变。为了提高这种无模型优化自适应光学系统的收敛速度, 提出了基于分区域耦合的新方法以改进传统随机并行梯度下降自适应光学系统的工作方式。将波前校正器光学孔径分成多块子区域, 每块子区域对应着的所有驱动器作为一个整体控制单元, 从形式上可以得到一个空间分辨率较低的分区域波前校正器。该校正器与原校正器同步工作, 并采用随机并行梯度下降算法对同一个性能评价函数进行优化, 从而构成了双校正器的耦合工作结构。对256单元分立活塞式波前校正器建立了自适应成像系统的数值模型, 结果表明这种分区域耦合的随机并行梯度下降自适应光学系统比传统随机并行梯度下降自适应光学系统具有更快的收敛速度和更好的渐近态。     

Coherent beam combination of adaptive fiber laser array with tilt-tip and phase-locking control

We present an experimental study on tilt-tip(TT) and phase-locking(PL) control in a coherent beam combination(CBC) system of adaptive fiber laser array.The TT control is performed using the adaptive fiber-optics collimator(AFOC),and the PL control is realized by the phase modulator(PM).Cascaded and simultaneous controls of TT and PL using stochastic parallel gradient descent(SPGD) algorithm are investigated in this paper.Two-fiber-laser-,four-fiber-laser-,and six-fiber-laser-arrays are employed to study the TT and PL control.In the cascaded control system,only one high-speed CMOS camera is used to collect beam data and a computer is used as the controller.In a simultaneous control system one high-speed CMOS camera and one photonic detector(PD) are employed,and a computer and a control circuit based on field programmable gate array(FPGA) are used as the controllers.Experimental results reveal that both cascaded and simultaneous controls of TT using AFOC and PL using PM in fiber laser array are feasible and effective.Cascaded control is more effective in static control situation and simultaneous control can be applied to the dynamic control system directly.The control signals of simultaneous PL and TT disturb each other obviously and TT and PL control may compete with each other,so the control effect is limited.     

Free-space laser communications with adaptive optics: Atmospheric compensation experiments

Refractive index inhomogeneities of the turbulent air cause wave-front distortions of optical waves propagating through the atmosphere, leading to such effects as beam spreading, beam wander, and intensity fluctuations (scintillations). These distortions are responsible for severe signal fading in free-space optical communications systems and therefore compromise link reliability. Wave-front distortions can be mitigated, in principle, with adaptive optics, i.e., real-time wave-front control, reducing the likeliness of signal fading. However, adaptive optics technology, currently primarily used in astronomical imaging, needs to be adapted to the requirements of free-space optical communication systems and their specific challenges.In this chapter we discuss a non-conventional adaptive optics approach that has certain advantages with respect to its incorporation into free-space optical communication terminals. The technique does not require wave-front measurements, which are difficult under the strong scintillation conditions typical for communication scenarios, but is based on the direct optimization of a performance quality metric, e.g., the communication signal strength, with a stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) algorithm.We describe an experimental adaptive optics system that consists of a beam-steering and a higher-resolution wave-front correction unit with a 132-actuator MEMS piston-type deformable mirror controlled by a VLSI system implementing the SPGD algorithm. The system optimizes the optical signal that could be coupled into a single-mode fiber after propagating along a 2.3-km near-horizontal atmospheric path. We investigate characteristics of the performance metric under different atmospheric conditions and evaluate the effect of the adaptive system. Experiments performed under strong scintillation conditions with beam-steering only as well as with higher-resolution wave-front control demonstrate the mitigation of wave-front distortions and the reduction of signal fading.     

Active phasing a nine-element 1.14 kW all-fiber two-tone MOPA array using SPGD algorithm

We demonstrated active phase locking a nine-element 1.1 kW all-fiber master-oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) array using the stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) blind optimization algorithm. Two spectrally combined single-frequency seed lasers, which provide potential ability to suppress the stimulated Brillouin scattering effect, are employed as a master oscillator for the nine MOPA channels. The nine laser beams are tiled side by side into a 3×3 laser array with a fill factor of 40% in the near field. When the SPGD controller is enabled, the metric function is increased 4.1 times, and a visibility more than 90% of the interference pattern at the receiving plane is obtained. The computed phase residual error is less than λ/15, despite the phase fluctuation of each channel.