Inventors:
Malcolm J. Northcott - Felton CA, US
J. Elon Graves - Los Gatos CA, US
Siegfried Fleischer - Campbell CA, US
Paolo Zambon - Campbell CA, US
Jeffrey Tuttle - Campbell CA, US
Rebecca Chang - Campbell CA, US
International Classification:
H04B 10/2507
Abstract:
A low cost, high reliability system for correcting aberrations in optical signals is disclosed. A foreoptic assembly, such as a telescope, receives an incoming optical signal and directs it to an active optical element, such as a fast steering mirror. The incoming optical signal is diffracted by a diffractive optical element to shape the image that is formed at a wavefront sensor, such as a quad-cell. The wavefront sensor measures a tip-tilt aberration of the incoming optical signal and the active optical element is adjusted to correct the measured aberration. An outgoing optical signal can be transmitted along substantially the same optical path as the incoming optical signal, but in the opposite direction. Thus, the aberration measured from the incoming optical signal can be automatically accounted for in the outgoing optical signal.
