Method and apparatus for the correction of optical signal wave front distortion within a free-space optical communication system

摘要

A free space optical communication system is disclosed whereby the optics of a transmit telescope are manipulated using adaptive optics to precompensate for wave front distortion of a light beam transmitted by a transmit telescope. Wave front distortion is manifested at the receive telescope as a change in at least one characteristic of the image of the received signal such as, for example, a reduction in the amplitude of the received signal. A mirror of the transmit telescope is deformed in such a way as to reduce the wave front distortion and correspondingly increase the resulting amplitude of the received signal.