Numerical simulation of high-energy laser propagation through the atmosphere and phase correction based on adaptive optics

The high-energy laser (HEL) has recently been in the spotlight for the most challenging military applications because it allows the warfighter to be capable of directly damaging or destroying faraway targets immediately. However, because of the atmospheric effect, the ability of the HEL to focus on the target can be significantly degraded. For improved focus on the target, this atmospheric effect should be accurately analyzed and mitigated in the HEL. Atmospheric turbulence and thermal blooming have been studied for decades to maximize the efficiency of the HEL. The aim of this study is to maximize the efficiency of the HEL through an accurate analysis of the atmospheric effects and mitigation using adaptive optics (AO). An accurate analysis of the HEL's beam propagation through the atmosphere is implemented based on the split-step beam propagation method, and the phase correction of atmospheric distortions, such as turbulence and thermal blooming, is simulated using an AO simulation tool that is independently developed by LIG Nex1. The result of the simulation of the split-step beam propagation showed a high accuracy compared with the analytical result of beam diffraction without atmospheric turbulence. Furthermore, that result confirmed that atmospheric distortions could be effectively mitigated using the AO system in the phase correction simulation.