Analysis of the Naval Research Laboratory MEM MCAO test bed

Our program for the upgrade of the Naval Prototype Optical Interferometer with large telescopes and adaptive optics has produced a test-bed for the in system evaluation and testing of our MEMs adaptive optics components and system performances. We have already reported in recent publications the basic characteristics of the test-bed. In order to improve the capabilities of such laboratory set-up we have started an upgrade that aims at developing a Multi Conjugate Adaptive Optics (MCA) test-bed. This test bed is based on the use of multiple Liquid Crystal Spatial Light Modulators (LCSLMs) for producing different phase screens at different spatial locations within the set-up. Details of this new set-up are presented in another paper in these proceedings. This paper specifically deals with the analytic portion of the MCAO test-bed.