On-sky performances of an optical phasing sensor based on a cylindrical lenslet array for segmented telescopes

New optical phasing sensor technologies have been studied with a test bench experiment, called Active Phasing Experiment, on-sky at the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope. One of the sensors was of the Shack-Hartmann type using cylindrical lenslets across the segment borders for the measurement of the phasing errors. With bright stars, the precision of the measurement of piston steps at a single border was better than 9 nm wavefront RMS, and the precision of the closed-loop correction of the piston errors of the segments across the whole mirror was better than 10 nm wavefront RMS. With dimmer stars of magnitude up to 14.5, precisions of the order of 22 nm wavefront RMS were obtained.     

Two-faceted mirror for active integration of coherent high-power laser beams

A new integration method suited for spatially coherent high-power laser beams is demonstrated. The integrator system is based on a mirror with two facets, one of which can vibrate under the action of a piezoelectric translator. After reflection in the faceted mirror, the beam intensity distribution is modified to obtain greater uniformity. However, because of the coherence of the reflected beamlets, this distribution is affected by an interference pattern. The active integration consists of a periodic displacement of the moving facet that causes the interference pattern to vibrate, and its contribution to the intensity profile therefore averages out (fringe visibility within a 5% range). The combination of a faceted mirror and a simple imaging system results in an intensity profile with good uniformity over large spot sizes. Both simulated and experimental results are presented, the latter showing that a final uniformity within a 10% range can be achieved and it is limited mainly by diffraction at the edges of the facets.     

Theoretical analysis of tuning coherent laser array for several applications

Theoretical analysis for the far-field diffraction of the coherent laser array (CLA) is presented. Based on the theoretical model of the propagation of CLA, the conditions and restrictions for coherent beam combination, two-dimensional steering, and dark-hollow beam generation are theoretically described in detail. With properly organized phase distributions and tilt control, the peak location of the far-field pattern of the CLA could shift two-dimensionally in a large scale of steering angle. With additional amplitude modulation, the far-field pattern could have special shapes. The simulated results agree with the theoretical analysis. It is a feasible way to realize all these applications by a CLA with well-arranged phase distributions and/or additional amplitude modulation.     

Design of an interferometric system for the measurement of phasing errors in segmented mirrors

One of the new problems that has to be solved for segmented mirrors is related to periodic phasing, because for such mirrors to exhibit diffraction-limited performance the segments have to be positioned with an accuracy of a fraction of a wavelength. We describe the optical design of an instrument that measures the phasing errors (i.e., tip, tilt, and piston) between two segments under daylight conditions. Its design is based on a high-aperture white-light Michelson interferometer. It was developed at the Center for Sensors, Instruments and Systems Development (CD6) of the Technical University of Catalunya, Spain, and its final testing was carried out on the Gran Telescopio Canarias test workbench.     

基于相控阵激光超声的裂纹衍射增强试验研究

针对超声衍射时差法(TOFD)存在检测精度较差、区域检测可靠性不够和信号信噪比(signal-to-noise ratio, SNR)低等问题,提出了一种基于光纤皮秒激光器和高速旋转镜的相控阵激光超声裂纹检测方法。利用有限元方法模拟热弹机制,建立二维瞬态激光超声力-固耦合模型产生横波与纵波在缺陷处发生的衍射现象,分析了裂纹尖端不同奇异点、声波不同中心频率和相控阵激励源不同位置对声波衍射的影响,通过衍射信号的信噪比和位移幅值两个计算指标来分析变化规律,并进行了试验验证。结果表明:数值模拟与试验结果有较好的一致性,相控阵激光源较传统单束激光源对衍射信号幅值和信噪比有明显的增强作用,纵波衍射信号信噪比较理想;衍射信号幅值随裂纹尖端奇异点增加和声波中心频率减小而增大;信噪比随尖端奇异点增加而增大,随声波中心频率一定范围增加无明显变化,随激光源距离的增加呈现先增加后减小的趋势;缺陷定量分析时计算出的裂纹长度与实际裂纹的误差均不超过6.8%。     

非对称光纤反射镜的可调谐光纤激光器

提出一种非对称窄带光纤环形反射镜结构的可调谐掺铒光纤激光器。980nm泵浦光对掺铒有源光纤进行抽运,高双折射光纤、偏振控制器（PC）和光纤耦合器构成窄带光纤反射镜,窄带光纤反射镜和普通光纤反射镜组成激光谐振腔,利用窄带光纤反射镜工作带宽纳米量级的特性得到单纵模激光。调整偏振控制器改变反射镜对不同波长的反射率,实现可变波长的激光输出。实验表明,该激光器的工作带宽为8nm,120mW泵浦光条件下最大输出功率为4mW,3dB带宽（脉冲的半高宽度）小于0．2nm,边模抑制比为20dB以上,在1527nm～1535nm的波长范围内观察到稳定激光输出。     

Cw industrial rod YAG:Nd(3+) laser with an intracavity active bimorph mirror

A special type of resonator with an intracavity wide-aperture active mirror was built, and a concave spherical bimorph active corrector was investigated. An increase of laser beam quality by a factor of 2-2.5 was achieved in a multimode regime of laser generation with an intracavity-controlled mirror. It was shown that various radiation mode structures could be formed at the laser output and in the far-field zone.     

Tunable excitation source for coherent Raman spectroscopy based on a single fiber laser

We demonstrate a wavelength tunable optical excitation source for coherent Raman scattering (CRS) spectroscopy based on a single femtosecond fiber laser. Electrically controlled wavelength tuning of Stokes optical pulses was achieved with soliton self frequency shift in an optical fiber, and linear frequency chirping was applied to both the pump and the Stokes waves to significantly improve the spectral resolution. The coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectrum of cyclohexane was measured and vibrational resonant Raman peaks separated by 70?cm(-1) were clearly resolved. Single laser-based tunable excitation may greatly simplify CRS measurements and extend the practicality of CRS microscopy.     

基于面阵CCD的激光角度测量系统的研究

介绍了一种以激光作光源,采用光学成像原理和CCD图像采集技术实现激光角度测量的方法,给出了系统构成和测量原理,并对系统可达精度及其影响因素进行了分析。结果表明,系统在50~200m的测量距离和±5°的测量角度内时,测量精度可以达到0.05mrad,满足了隧道盾构施工中对盾构机方位角的高精度测量要求。     

Experimental verification and theory for an eight-element multiple-aperture equal-gain coherent laser receiver for laser communications

The detection and processing of laser communication signals are affected by the fading induced onto these signals by atmospheric turbulence. One method of reducing this fading is to use an array of detectors in which each of the detector outputs are added together coherently. We present experimental verification and theory of a 1.06 mum eight-element coherent receiver used to mitigate the effects of fading over a 1-km outdoor range. The carrier-to-noise ratio (CNR) was measured on a single channel and was then compared with the CNR obtained from the coherent sum of the eight channels. The increase of the mean CNR for the coherent sum as compared with a single aperture was observed proportional to the number of the apertures under different conditions of atmospheric turbulence. The measured mean CNR gain fitted the theoretical prediction well when the laser intensity fluctuations followed the gamma distribution.     

High-aspect-ratio line focus for an x-ray laser by a deformable mirror

A high-aspect-ratio line focus is required on a plane target in x-ray laser experiments for obtaining a high gain-length product. Inherent wave-front aberrations in line-focusing optics, which consist of a cylindrical lens and a spherical lens, are discussed with respect to beam diameter. The nonuniformity of the linewidth that is due to the aberrations is also calculated by the ABCD matrix method. A deformable mirror of a continuous plate type with a diameter of 185 mm provides an adequate wave-front distribution for compensating for the wave-front aberration. The wave-front control by the deformable mirror realizes a fine linewidth of 25 mum and 18.2 mm long, corresponding to the aspect ratio of 728. The linewidth is three times the diffraction limit. The intensity distribution along the line focus is also improved.     

High-resolution two-dimensional angle measurement technique based on fringe analysis

A novel angle-measurement technique based on fringe analysis for phase-measuring profilometry is proposed. A two-dimensional (2-D) angle between two mirror surfaces is determined by least-squares fitting of a plane to the 2-D distribution of the phase difference introduced by the 2-D tilt angle. To evaluate the performance of the proposed technique, numerical simulations that use the Fourier-transform technique and the phase-shift technique for fringe analysis were performed, and the results are compared. A 2-D angle-measurement interferometer based on a Mirau interference microscope was developed that demonstrated the validity of the proposed principle. It is shown by simulation and experiment that the proposed 2-D angle-measurement technique can achieve both a wide measurement range and a high angular resolution simultaneously.     

Using two-dimensional distributed feedback for the synchronization of emission from laser active media

It is shown that two-dimensional (2D) Bragg resonance structures can be used for the synchronization of emission from a spatially developed laser active medium. Analysis of the dynamics of a laser with 2D distributed feedback shows that stationary lasing with a frequency and a spatial structure of the field close to the fundamental mode of a 2D Bragg resonator is possible in the structures with large values of the Fresnel parameter.     

Hexapod control for an active secondary mirror: general concept and test results

Active control of the secondary mirror, mainly for correction of the decentering coma, is an essential tool for an active-optics telescope. The Italian Telescopio Nazionale Galileo is equipped with a secondary mirror supported by an hexapod mechanical structure, providing a positioning control with six degrees of freedom. The hexapod system has been built and tested to characterize its performance. The results show that the errors in the positioning of the secondary mirror lead to an aberration image well below the diffraction figure of the telescope.     

Research on the resolution in coherent sources using a MUSIC algorithm based on a dual vector-sensor array

研究了单矢量传感器多重信号分类(SV-MUSIC)算法对非相干源的分辨性能,推导了声源等功率情况下的信噪比分辨门限表达式.针对相干源的分辨问题,提出了一种基于空间平滑的二元矢量阵多重信号分类(DV-MUSIC)算法.仿真实验表明,SV-MUSIC算法对非相干源的分辨能力随着信噪比的增加而提高,在相应的判定准则下其结果与理论值基本吻合,而基于二元矢量传感器的DV-MUSIC算法能够实现相干源的分辨,其分辨性能曲线一定程度上类似于SV-MUSIC算法对非相干源的分辨性能曲线.     

Microfluidic biosensor based on an array of hydrogel-entrapped enzymes

Here we show that a microfluidic sensor based on an array of hydrogel-entrapped enzymes can be used to simultaneously detect different concentrations of the same analyte (glucose) or multiple analytes (glucose and galactose) in real time. The concentration of paraoxon, an acetylcholine esterase inhibitor, can be quantified using the same approach. The hydrogel micropatch arrays and the microfluidic systems are easy to fabricate, and the hydrogels provide a convenient, biocompatible matrix for the enzymes. Isolation of the micropatches within different microfluidic channels eliminates the possibility of cross talk between enzymes.     

Experimental demonstration of an optical phased array antenna for laser space communications

The feasibility of an optical phased array antenna applicable for spaceborne laser communications was experimentally demonstrated. Heterodyne optical phase-locked loops provide for a defined phase relationship between the collimated output beams of three single-mode fibers. In the far field the beams interfere with a measured efficiency of 99%. The main lobe of the interference pattern can be moved by phase shifting the subaperture output beams. The setup permitted agile beam steering within an angular range of 1 mr and a response time of 0.7 ms. We propose an operational optical phased array antenna fed by seven lasers, featuring high transmit power and redundance.     

High-speed two-dimensional laser scanner based on Bragg gratings stored in photothermorefractive glass

A high-speed free-space wavelength-multiplexed optical scanner with high-speed wavelength selection coupled with narrowband volume Bragg gratings stored in photothermorefractive (PTR) glass is reported. The proposed scanner with no moving parts has a modular design with a wide angular scan range, accurate beam pointing, low scanner insertion loss, and two-dimensional beam scan capabilities. We present a complete analysis and design procedure for storing multiple tilted Bragg-grating structures in a single PTR glass volume (for normal incidence) in an optimal fashion. Because the scanner design is modular, many PTR glass volumes (each having multiple tilted Bragg-grating structures) can be stacked together, providing an efficient throughput with operations in both the visible and the infrared (IR) regions. A proof-of-concept experimental study is conducted with four Bragg gratings in independent PTR glass plates, and both visible and IR region scanner operations are demonstrated.     

Preparation technique for copper-plating on Si nanoporous pillar array

Silicon nanoporous pillar array (Si-NPA) is prepared by hydrothermally etching method. The copper/silicon nanocomposite thin film (Cu/Si-NPA) is obtained utilizing a reductive deposition method where Si-NPA acts both as a reducing agent and as a substrate. Microstructural analysis indicates that Si-NPA is composed of large quantities of well-separated, quasi-identical silicon pillars which are uniform and perpendicular to the surface. The pillar surface is nanoporous and the pore wall is composed of silicon nanocrystallites with a size about 4 nm. Cu/Si-NPA inherits the morphological characteristic of Si-NPA. The density of the Cu nanoparticles changes alternatively with the geometrical sites of Si-NPA, which leads to the formation of crater-like structures. These results indicate that Si-NPA might be used as an ideal template for synthesizing metal/silicon nanocomposite systems.     

Analysis and fabrication of corner cube array based on laser direct writing technology

A detailed analysis of corner cube array (CCA) structure is carried out using the commercially available ray-tracing software ZEMAX. The retroreflective properties of CCA for short-range and long-range propagation are compared. An improved CCA structure with a relatively low structural depth (compared with rectangular CCA) is designed and analyzed. Higher retroreflectance (compared with triangular CCA) at a specific incident angle is proved by ray tracing. Two kinds of CCA structures, including the improved CCA, have been fabricated using laser direct writing technology. The fabrication results are qualified by three-dimensional shape measurement and ray tracing.