SBIR-STTR Award

Military-class Adaptive Optical (AO) system technology remains highly specialized and typically must be tailored to the application of interest. This leads to high cost systems and a slow development cycle. Nutronics, Inc. proposes to develop a design for a Modular Integrated Adaptive Optics System (MINTAOS) based on an existing high performance design for a UAV-based AO transceiver assembly that will be integrated and tested in Q1 2010. The existing design has been analyzed for robustness to large changes in temperature and a UAV vibration environment, with end to end performance evaluation to be completed in the temperature and vibration environment of interest in Q1 2010. The modified design will enable changing the wavefront sensor to support multiple applications. Nutronics, Inc.’s design process for the MINTAOS will define key trades associated with matching customer applications of interest to capabilities that can be provided by the MINTAOS. The design study will include investigation of multiple options for the phase correction device as well, including examination of the potential benefits of piston-tip-tilt segmented deformable mirrors. The resultant design will define a potential Phase 2 effort to develop and deliver a MINTAOS tailored for one or more applications.

Benefit:
The proposed effort has numerous potential benefits and commercial applications, including (but not limited to): laser communication, space situational awareness, astronomical ground based imaging, laser radar, laser rangefinding, aircraft self defense (both commercial and military), air-base defense, ship self-defense, and tactical precision strike.

Keywords:
Adaptive Optics, Laser Propagation Through Turbulence

Military-class Adaptive Optical (AO) system technology remains highly specialized and typically must be tailored to the application of interest. Nutronics, Inc. proposes to address the challenges posed by next generation military-class AO applications by developing and delivering a state of the art 1020-ch ukNAO Unit with the following features: fiber-reference self-referencing interferometer & piston-only segmented deformable mirror (DM) to effective maximum possible closed loop stable performance in strong scintillation conditions, combined firmware and continuous optical zoom system to enable testing with an effective number of actuators from 8 to 32 across the aperture, error rejection bandwidth of 800 Hz at a gain margin of 2.5 with noise gain of less than 0.30, operate from 1500-1600 nm, capability to project a beam at an alternate wavelength, a defined minimum power for wavefront sensor (WFS) and tracker operation, and projected fading performance better than 10 dB for a broad envelope of turbulence conditions. This design was reached by extensive trade studies over a broad range of DM and WFS options. The particular design was tailored for demanding free space optical communication links.

Benefit:
The proposed effort has numerous potential benefits and commercial applications, including (but not limited to): laser communication, space situational awareness, astronomical ground based imaging, laser radar, laser rangefinding, aircraft self defense (both commercial and military), air-base defense, ship self-defense, and tactical precision strike.

Keywords:
Adaptive Optics, Laser Propagation Through Turbulence ---------- Ground-based testing of air / space-borne sensors & trackers (SBIRS, GMD, THAAD, etc.) requires achromatic optical collimation systems that can project dynamic scenes & targets at very large apparent distances. The collimation system must undergo major adjustments to optimally accommodate the FOV of various test articles, but the projection quality is extremely sensitive to misalignment of the large mirror optics which are inherently difficult to set or maintain. In addition, the cryovacuum environment required for low radiometric background makes typical lab-bench access impossible. The AEDC Space Chambers need a high-performance, all-reflective zoom collimator rated for cryovacuum conditions. Nutronics, Inc. proposes to design a reflective cryovacuum zoom collimator with adaptive optical (AO) compensation to meet AEDC's requirements. A system of movable curved mirrors plus a deformable mirror (DM) conveys a broad-spectrum scene at infinite conjugate distance to the sensor under test, with a clear aperture > 30 cm and zoom ratio of at least 4:1 up to 10:1 to accommodate various test articles, while a probe beam and wavefront sensor are used to provide AO feedback. This design-only effort leverages extensive Nutronics expertise in the field of AO, as well as experience with large reflective optics and optics in cryovacuum environments.