Abstract: A method of flattening a deformable mirror (DM) such as a piezoelectric DM to correct for distortion includes inputting an incident light beam into a reference beam optical path while blocking the DM response, recording a flat wavefront (?n, R) as a reference wavefront from a reference mirror, blocking the reference beam to obtain a DM response, activating a close-loop mode of DM Control Software and computing iterations until a difference between the reference wavefront and the DM response is minimized, recording a wavefront created by the DM (?n, DM) and the corresponding voltage vector (Vn) applied to the DM; and applying a voltage vector to the DM to thereby flatten the DM and correct for the distortion. The method is useful in an application such as for ground-to-space links at Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) wavelengths.

Abstract: A system and method for encoding an analog input signal for optical transmission, including driving a voltage controlled oscillator with an analog input signal to produce a frequency modulated electrical signal having a frequency proportional to the amplitude of the input signal, and applying the frequency modulated electrical signal to a multiple quantum well modulating retroreflector. The retroreflector receives optical energy from a laser source and modulates the optical energy with the frequency modulated signal to produce an output optical signal.

Abstract: An original image of a target is provided. The original image is guidedly perturbed into a first plurality of recognizable uniquely perturbed images, each of the first plurality of recognizable uniquely perturbed images being recognizable as representing the target and distinguishable from the original image. The first plurality of recognizable uniquely perturbed images is guidedly perturbed into a second plurality of unrecognizable uniquely perturbed images, each of the second plurality of unrecognizable uniquely perturbed images being unrecognizable as representing the target. A contour is generated between the first plurality of recognizable uniquely perturbed images and the second plurality of unrecognizable uniquely perturbed images.

Abstract: An optical communicating system and method thereof includes first and second terminals. The first terminal has a transmitter for transmitting an interrogating light beam and a receiver for receiving the interrogating light beam. The second terminal has a cats-eye modulating retroreflector (MRR), which includes a modulator for modulating the interrogating light beam received from the transmitter an optical focusing device for focusing the interrogating light beam from the transmitter to the modulator, and a reflector for reflecting the modulated light beam to the receive. It can include a beam deflector positioned at the aperture of the optical focusing device of the catseye MRR to reduce the field of view of the cats-eye MRR, It can also include an angle of arrival sensor for sensing the angle of arrival of the interrogating beam at the second terminal.

Abstract: A system for remote optical communications includes a base station and a remote station. The remote station includes a retroreflector, a multiple quantum well modulator (MQW), and drive circuitry that drives the MQW. A base station transmitter sends an interrogating light beam to the MQW, which modulates the light beam based on the information in the electrical signal from the drive circuitry. The retroreflector reflects the modulated light beam to the base station for detection by a receiver.