Closed-loop aberration correction by use of a modal Zernike wave-front sensor

We describe the practical implementation of a closed-loop adaptive-optics system incorporating a novel modal wave-front sensor. The sensor consists of a static binary-phase computer-generated holographic element, which generates a pattern of spots in a detector plane. Intensity differences between symmetric pairs of these spots give a direct measure of the Zernike mode amplitudes that are present in the input wave front. We use a ferroelectric liquid-crystal spatial light modulator in conjunction with a 4-f system and a spatial filter as a wave-front correction element. We present results showing a rapid increase in Strehl ratio and focal spot quality as the system corrects for deliberately introduced aberrations.     

Open- and closed-loop aberration correction by use of a quadrature interferometric wave-front sensor

Experimental results are presented for an adaptive optics system based on a quadrature Twyman-Green interferometric wave-front sensor. The system uses a circularly polarized reference beam to form two interferograms with a pi/2 phase shift. The experiments conducted used Kolmogorov phase screens to simulate atmospheric phase distortions. Strehl ratio improvements by a factor of 8, to an absolute value of 0.45, are demonstrated.     

Measuring wind speeds and turbulence with a wave-front sensor

We analyze wave-front sensor (WFS) measurements taken with the 1.5-m telescope at the Starfire Optical Range in Albuquerque, N.M., of wind speeds in the turbulent atmospheric layers that cause seeing. The frozen-flow hypothesis suggests that atmospheric turbulence is located in thin horizontal layers and that turbulent features do not change over short time scales but are drawn along by the prevailing wind. Exploiting autocorrelation properties of the WFS data that result from these characteristics of atmospheric turbulence, we are able to measure the movements of individual layers. We also test the validity of the frozen-flow hypothesis.     

Adaptive-optics correction of a stellar interferometer with a single pyramid wave-front sensor

We investigate the pyramid wave-front sensor's capability to reconstruct in a closed loop, with only one sensor, the wave fronts on both apertures of a stellar interferometer, including the differential piston: The method consists of placing the principal element of this sensor, namely, a refractive-square-based pyramid, in a combined focal plane of the interferometer instead of using two sensors, one for each individual telescope. We show that the sensor signals allow one to measure the wave-front aberrations on both apertures and the differential piston at the same time. The performance of an adaptive-optics loop is computed numerically for the Large Binocular Telescope in terms of differential-piston rejection under several conditions. The results show that atmospheric correction including differential-piston compensation is possible as long as the corrected Strehl ratio at the wave-front sensing wavelength is greater than 20%.     

点源信标相关哈特曼-夏克波前传感器光斑偏移测量误差分析

在基于哈特曼-夏克波前传感器(SH-WFS)的自适应光学系统中,通常采用质心算法探测点源信标的子孔径光斑偏移量.然而质心算法探测精度受到诸如减阈值等因素的影响,在低信噪比(SNR )时不能准确估计光斑质心位置,而相关哈特曼算法不需要减阈值,具有更好的鲁棒性.本文在介绍相关SH-WFS基本原理的基础上,通过建立基于点源信标探测的相关SH-WFS算法的随机噪声模型,推导了光斑偏移测量误差表达式,系统分析了光子噪声、CCD读出噪声、背景光子噪声等因素对相关SH-WFS测量误差的影响.并进行了数值仿真及实验,仿真 关键词： 相关哈特曼-夏克波前传感器 相关哈特曼算法 质心算法 测量误差     

四棱锥波前传感技术数值仿真和重构研究

介绍了四棱锥传感技术的基本原理和数学模型。当以调制模式工作时,可计算复原矩阵或梯度矩阵。分析了调制半径在不同像差条件下对复原速度和精度的影响,对无调制模式采用复原矩阵进行了仿真,并与调制模式进行了对比。实验结果表明:无调制状态下,经过校正,残差RMS可减至0.05,调制状态下,梯度矩阵重构效果较好,残差RMS可减至0.02;对大像差的输入信号,调制模式的精度和速度都优于无调制模式。结果表明,四棱锥波前传感技术具有高速度、高精度和灵活的工作模式,是一种先进的波前传感技术。     

Improvement of Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensor measurement for extreme adaptive optics

The development of high-performance adaptive optics systems requires the optimization of wave-front sensors (WFSs) working in the high-order correction regime. We propose a new method to improve the wave-front slope estimation of a Shack-Hartmann WFS in such a regime. Based on a detailed analysis of the different errors in the slope estimation with a classical centroid and with the new method, the gain in terms of wave-front-sensing accuracy in both the detector and the photon noise regimes is stressed. This improvement is proposed without major system disruption.     

Concept for a laser guide beacon Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensor with dynamically steered subapertures

We describe an innovative implementation of the Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensor that is designed to correct the perspective elongation of a laser guide beacon in adaptive optics. Subapertures are defined by the segments of a deformable mirror rather than by a conventional lenslet array. A bias tilt on each segment separates the beacon images on the sensor's detector. One removes the perspective elongation by dynamically driving each segment with a predetermined open-loop signal that would, in the absence of atmospheric wave-front aberration, keep the corresponding beacon image centered on the subaperture's optical axis.     

Validity of wave-front reconstruction and propagation of ultrabroadband pulses measured with a Hartmann-Shack sensor

Wave-front reconstruction for ultrabroadband laser pulses is verified by use of a Hartmann-Shack sensor. We estimate the accuracy of numerical wave-front propagation by comparing numerical with experimental results and verify that wave fronts of ultrabroadband laser pulses from a hollow fiber can be propagated correctly by a single polychromatic wave-front measurement to a place where detection is not practicable, e.g., inside a vacuum chamber or laser focus.     

Electron density of the magnesium XII doublet in the solar corona by use of a collision excitation model

For accurate spectroscopic diagnostics in the solar corona, the principle of spectral diagnostics of electron density is discussed by collision excitation model. Variation in electron density in the solar corona is calculated by this method using the observed signal ratio of spectral lines produced by the magnesium XII ion in the solar corona. Results show that with increasing signal ratio, the electron density will decrease; furthermore, the electron density is on the order of 10¹⁰?cm^?3, which is a reasonable value in the solar corona. Finally, variation in temperature with different signal ratio is discussed. This investigation will be significant for solar plasma diagnostics and study on the solar coronal.     

Electron momentum density and Compton profile by a semi-empirical approach

Here we propose a semi-empirical approach to describe with good accuracy the electron momentum densities and Compton profiles for a wide range of pure crystalline metals. In the present approach, we use an experimental Compton profile to fit an analytical expression for the momentum densities of the valence electrons. This expression is similar to a Fermi–Dirac distribution function with two parameters, one of which coincides with the ground state kinetic energy of the free-electron gas and the other resembles the electron–electron interaction energy. In the proposed scheme conduction electrons are neither completely free nor completely bound to the atomic nucleus. This procedure allows us to include correlation effects.We tested the approach for all metals with Z=3–50 and showed the results for three representative elements: Li, Be and Al from high-resolution experiments.     

Ultrasonic characterization of a fluid layer using a broadband transducer

A measurement method is proposed for the ultrasonic characterization of a fluid layer, corresponding to the resin transfer molding (RTM) manufacturing process. The ultrasonic velocity and attenuation of the silicone oil are measured in three samples having different viscosities. The measurement method is established on the basis of the attenuation of ultrasonic waves in fluids. A correction of the beam diffraction is implemented to improve measurement precision. A single element transducer with central frequency of 15 MHz is used. The tested fluids simulate the industrial resin used to manufacture composite materials. When injecting this resin, its viscosity increases until it reaches a critical state of polymerization. In this paper we focus on ultrasonic characterization of three fluids representing three intermediate cases of fluid resin during its injection before reaching the polymerization state.     

Electron density diagnostics by use of a collisional excitation model of the oxygen VI doublet in the solar transition region

ABSTRACT

For spectral diagnostics in the solar transition region under the collision–equilibrium condition, the method for electron density diagnostics by the collisional excitation is discussed in this paper. By using observed signal ratio of spectral lines produced by the oxygen VI ion, we discuss the electron density by this method. We find that this method is valid for a large region of signal ratio (from 2.001 to 4.162). We obtain that the electron density increases with increasing signal ratio of the oxygen VI doublet, and the plasma has an electron density on the order of magnitude of 10⁶–10⁷?cm^?3. This discussion will be significant for study on spectral diagnostics of the solar transition region.     

Experimental investigation of an inversion technique for the determination of broadband duct mode amplitudes by the use of near-field sensor arrays

This paper is an experimental investigation of an inverse technique for deducing the amplitudes of the modes radiated from a turbofan engine, including schemes for stablizing the solution. The detection of broadband modes generated by a laboratory-scaled fan inlet is performed using a near-field array of microphones arranged in a geodesic geometry. This array geometry is shown to allow a robust and accurate modal inversion. The sound power radiated from the fan inlet and the coherence function between different modal amplitudes are also presented. The knowledge of such modal content is useful in helping to characterize the source mechanisms of fan broadband noise generation, for determining the most appropriate mode distribution model for duct liner predictions, and for making sound power measurements of the radiated sound field.     

Dynamic axial-position control of a laser-trapped particle by wave-front modification

The axial position of a laser-trapped particle has been controlled by modification of the wave front by means of a membrane deformable mirror. The mirror gives wave-front modulation in terms of Zernike polynomials. By modulation of the Zernike defocus term we can modulate the particle position under conditions of laser trapping. A polystyrene particle of 1-microm diameter was moved along the optical axis direction for a distance of 2370 nm in minimum steps of 55.4 nm. We also demonstrated particle oscillation along the optical axis by changing the focal position in a sinusoidal manner. From the frequency dependency of the amplitude of particle oscillation we determined the spring constant as 91.7 nN/m.     

自适应光学曲率波前传感器的衍射理论及其方案分析

曲率波前传感器是自适应光学中的一种很有前途的新型波前传感器。在对衍射理论和几何光学进行近似的基础上,研究了曲率波前传感器的理论分析方法,分析了曲率波前传感器的光学方案和信号获取方法。结果表明,从曲率传感器输出的信号经放大后可直接作为力或弯曲力矩施加到反射镜上,而不需要任何复杂的计算。变形镜可自动地向满足泊松方程的表面形状会聚。利用曲率传感器与双压电晶片反射镜的结合,有望获得一种低价、快速闭环控制的系统。     

Large-area broadband saturable Bragg reflectors by use of oxidized AlAs

Broadband saturable Bragg reflectors (SBRs) are designed and fabricated by monolithic integration of semiconductor saturable absorbers with broadband Bragg mirrors. The wet oxidation of AlAs creates low-index AlxOy layers for broadband, high-index-contrast AlGaAs/AlxOy or InGaAlP/AlxOy mirrors. SBR mirror designs indicate greater than 99% reflectivity over bandwidths of 294, 466, and 563 nm for center wavelengths of 800, 1300, and 1550 nm, respectively. Highly strained and unstrained absorbers are stably integrated with the oxidized mirrors. Large-scale lateral oxidation techniques permit the fabrication of SBRs with diameters of 500 microm. Large-area, broadband SBRs are used to self-start and mode lock a variety of laser systems at wavelengths from 800 to 1550 nm.     

Error analysis of a practical energy density sensor

The investigation of an active control system based on acoustic energy density has led to the analysis and development of an inexpensive three-axes energy density sensor. The energy density sensor comprises six electret microphones mounted on the surface of a 0.025-m (1 in.) radius sphere. The bias errors for the potential, kinetic, and total energy density as well as the magnitude of intensity of a spherical sensor are compared to a sensor comprising six microphones suspended in space. Analytical, computer-modeled, and experimental data are presented for both sensor configurations in the case of traveling and standing wave fields, for an arbitrary incidence angle. It is shown that the energy density measurement is the most nearly accurate measurement of the four for the conditions presented. Experimentally, it is found that the spherical energy density sensor is within +/- 1.75 dB compared to reference measurements in the 110-400 Hz frequency range in a reverberant enclosure. The diffraction effects from the hard sphere enable the sensor to be made more compact by a factor of 3 compared to the sensor with suspended microphones.