Optically aligning a transmitted beam with a received beam
AssigneeThe Aerospace Corporation
InventorsJuan Montoya, William Daniel Mack
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for optically aligning a transmitted beam with a received beam are provided herein. In some examples, a received beam is divided into a plurality of receive beamlets. The plurality of receive beamlets are coherently combined into a first optical beam. A second optical beam is coherently divided into a plurality of transmit beamlets forming a transmitted beam. The plurality of receive beamlets are used to determine a direction of the received beam. Phases of the receive beamlets are adaptively adjusted to maximize intensity of the first optical beam. Phases of the transmit beamlets are adaptively adjusted to steer the transmitted beam in a direction opposite to the direction of the received beam.
Claims22
A method for aligning a transmitted beam with a received beam, the method comprising:
- dividing a received beam into a plurality of receive beamlets;
- coherently combining the plurality of receive beamlets into a first optical beam;
- coherently dividing a second optical beam into a plurality of transmit beamlets forming a transmitted beam;
- using the plurality of receive beamlets to determine a direction of the received beam;
- adaptively adjusting phases of the receive beamlets to maximize intensity of the first optical beam;
- and
- adaptively adjusting phases of the transmit beamlets to steer the transmitted beam in a direction opposite to the direction of the received beam.
A system for aligning a transmitted beam with a received beam, the system comprising:
- a first beam combiner to coherently combine a plurality of receive beamlets into a first optical beam;
- a plurality of sensors to determine a direction of the received beam;
- a first phase modulator array to adjust phases of the receive beamlets;
- a second beam combiner to coherently divide a second optical beam into a plurality of transmit beamlets forming a transmitted beam;
- a second phase modulator array to adjust phases of the transmit beamlets;
- and
- a controller to:
- adaptively adjust the first phase modulator array to maximize intensity of the first optical beam;
- and
- adaptively adjust the second phase modulator array to steer the transmitted beam in a direction opposite the direction of the received beam.
22-37. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.