Prototype adaptive optics system for ground-to-satellite laser communication

We have been studying a high-bit-rate satellite laser communications system between a ground station and a geostationary (GEO) satellite, named high-speed optical feeder-link system. An adaptive optics (AO) is the best solution to compensate the degradation of the laser beam quality due to atmospheric turbulence and to realize such a high-bit-rate laser communication system. In this paper, we describe the current satellite laser communication program at CRL and the detailed design of the prototype AO system for the satellite laser communication. The performance of the prototype AO system is evaluated theoretically, based on a simulation of the laser beam propagation for up link and down link. The simulation results indicate that the Strehl ratio for the down link beam will be improved from 0.023 to 0.34. The simulation for the up link transmission showed that the mean optical power received by the GEO satellite will be increased by a factor of ten, and that the probability of the received power varying within only a 6 dB margin will be increased from 28 % to 78 %.