High-performance beam director for high-power laser systems or other systems

An apparatus comprising:

• a wavefront sensor configured to receive coherent flood illumination that is reflected from a remote object and to estimate wavefront errors associated with the coherent flood illumination;
• and
• a beam director optically coupled to the wavefront sensor and comprising a telescope and an auto-alignment system, the auto-alignment system configured to adjust at least one optical device in order to alter a line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor;
• wherein the wavefront errors estimated by the wavefront sensor include a wavefront error resulting from the adjustment of the at least one optical device;
• and
• wherein the auto-alignment system comprises:
• at least one illumination source configured to generate auto-alignment illumination;
• a plurality of optical elements configured to direct the auto-alignment illumination and the coherent flood illumination towards the telescope along a common optical path through the beam director, wherein the optical elements comprise at least one fast steering mirror;
• a mirror optically positioned after the telescope and configured to reflect at least some of the auto-alignment illumination back towards the telescope and along the common optical path through the beam director;
• at least one detector configured to receive the reflected auto-alignment illumination and to detect a position or an angle-of-arrival of the reflected auto-alignment illumination;
• and
• a controller configured to adjust the at least one fast steering mirror based on the detected position or angle-of-arrival in order to adjust at least part of the common optical path and to adjust the line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor.

A system comprising:

• at least one illumination source configured to generate coherent flood illumination;
• a wavefront sensor configured to receive the coherent flood illumination that is reflected from a remote object and to estimate wavefront errors associated with the coherent flood illumination;
• and
• a beam director optically coupled to the wavefront sensor and comprising a telescope and an auto-alignment system, the auto-alignment system configured to adjust at least one first optical device in order to alter a line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor;
• wherein the wavefront errors estimated by the wavefront sensor include a wavefront error resulting from the adjustment of the at least one first optical device;
• and
• wherein the auto-alignment system is further configured to generate auto-alignment illumination that is reflected off a mirror and that returns to the auto-alignment system so that the auto-alignment system is able to correct for internal line-of-sight errors within the system, the mirror outside an optical path of the coherent flood illumination.

A system comprising:

• at least one first illumination source configured to generate coherent flood illumination;
• a wavefront sensor configured to receive the coherent flood illumination that is reflected from a remote object and to estimate wavefront errors associated with the coherent flood illumination;
• and
• a beam director optically coupled to the wavefront sensor and comprising a telescope and an auto-alignment system, the auto-alignment system configured to adjust at least one optical device in order to alter a line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor;
• wherein the wavefront errors estimated by the wavefront sensor include a wavefront error resulting from the adjustment of the at least one optical device;
• and
• wherein the auto-alignment system comprises:
• at least one second illumination source configured to generate auto-alignment illumination;
• a plurality of optical elements configured to direct the auto-alignment illumination and the coherent flood illumination towards the telescope along a common optical path through the beam director, wherein the optical elements comprise at least one fast steering mirror;
• a mirror optically positioned after the telescope and configured to reflect at least some of the auto-alignment illumination back towards the telescope and along the common optical path through the beam director;
• at least one detector configured to receive the reflected auto-alignment illumination and to detect a position or an angle-of-arrival of the reflected auto-alignment illumination;
• and
• a controller configured to adjust the at least one fast steering mirror based on the detected position or angle-of-arrival in order to adjust at least part of the common optical path and to adjust the line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor.

A system comprising:

• at least one illumination source configured to generate coherent flood illumination;
• a wavefront sensor configured to receive the coherent flood illumination that is reflected from a remote object and to estimate wavefront errors associated with the coherent flood illumination;
• and
• a beam director optically coupled to the wavefront sensor and comprising a telescope and an auto-alignment system, the auto-alignment system configured to adjust at least one optical device in order to alter a line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor;
• wherein the wavefront errors estimated by the wavefront sensor include a wavefront error resulting from the adjustment of the at least one optical device;
• wherein the telescope comprises a primary mirror, a secondary mirror, and a positioner configured to move the secondary mirror;
• and
• wherein the system further comprises:
• a range sensor configured to estimate a distance to the remote object;
• and
• a controller configured to cause the positioner to move the secondary mirror to an initial location based on the estimated distance.

A method comprising:

• receiving coherent flood illumination that is reflected from a remote object at a wavefront sensor;
• estimating wavefront errors associated with the coherent flood illumination using the wavefront sensor;
• and
• adjusting a line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor using a beam director comprising a telescope and an auto-alignment system, the auto-alignment system adjusting at least one first optical device in order to alter the line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor;
• wherein the wavefront errors estimated by the wavefront sensor include a wavefront error resulting from the adjustment of the at least one first optical device;
• and
• wherein the auto-alignment system generates auto-alignment illumination that is reflected off a mirror and that returns to the auto-alignment system so that the auto-alignment system is able to correct for internal line-of-sight errors within a system, the mirror outside an optical path of the coherent flood illumination.

A method comprising:

• receiving coherent flood illumination that is reflected from a remote object at a wavefront sensor;
• estimating wavefront errors associated with the coherent flood illumination using the wavefront sensor;
• and
• adjusting a line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor using a beam director comprising a telescope and an auto-alignment system, the auto-alignment system adjusting at least one optical device in order to alter the line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor;
• wherein the wavefront errors estimated by the wavefront sensor include a wavefront error resulting from the adjustment of the at least one optical device and a wavefront error caused by disturbances along a path of the coherent flood illumination;
• and
• wherein the method further comprises:
• focusing high-energy laser (HEL) illumination on the remote object by moving a secondary mirror of the telescope;
• measuring a wavefront error resulting from movement of the secondary mirror using the wavefront sensor;
• and
• correcting the wavefront error resulting from movement of the secondary mirror using a deformable mirror.