High-speed horizontal-path atmospheric turbulence correction using a large actuator-number MEMS spatial light modulator in an interferometric phase conjugation engine

Atmospheric propagation results for a high-speed, large-actuator-number, adaptive optics system are presented. The system uses a MEMS-based spatial light modulator correction device with 1024 actuators. Tests over a 1.35 km path achieved correction speeds in excess of 800 Hz and Strehl ratios close to 0.5. The wave-front sensor was based on a quadrature interferometer that directly measures phase. This technique does not require global wave-front reconstruction, making it relatively insensitive to scintillation and phase residues. The results demonstrate the potential of large actuator number MEMS-based spatial light modulators to replace conventional deformable mirrors.