Predictive Control Algorithms for Adaptive Optical Wavefront Correction in Free-space Optical Communication

To handle the servo delay in a real-time adaptive optics system, a linear subspace system identification algorithm was employed to model the system, and the accuracy of the system identification was verified by numerical calculation. Experimental verification was conducted in a real test bed system. Through analysis and comparison of the experimental results, the convergence can be achieved only 200 times with prediction and 300 times without prediction. After the wavefront peak-to-valley value converges, its mean values are 0.27, 4.27, and 10.14 mu m when the communication distances are 1.2, 4.5, and 10.2 km, respectively. The prediction algorithm can effectively improve the convergence speed of the peak-to-valley value and improve the free-space optical communication performance.