High-performance beam director for high-power laser systems or other systems

1. An apparatus comprising:

a wavefront sensor configured to receive coherent flood illumination that is reflected from a remote object and to estimate wavefront errors associated with the coherent flood illumination; and

a beam director optically coupled to the wavefront sensor and comprising a telescope and an auto-alignment system, the auto-alignment system configured to adjust at least one first optical device in order to alter a line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor;

wherein the wavefront errors estimated by the wavefront sensor include a wavefront error resulting from the adjustment of the at least one first optical device; and

wherein the auto-alignment system is further configured to generate auto-alignment illumination that is reflected off a mirror and that returns to the auto-alignment system so that the auto-alignment system is able to correct for internal line-of-sight errors within a system, the mirror outside an optical path of the coherent flood illumination.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the beam director further comprises at least one second optical device configured to correct for the wavefront errors.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the at least one second optical device comprises at least one deformable mirror.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the at least one deformable mirror comprises a primary mirror of the telescope.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:

the at least one second optical device comprises first and second deformable mirrors;

the auto-alignment system is configured to adjust the first deformable mirror to correct for a first portion of the wavefront errors; and

the auto-alignment system is configured to independently adjust the second deformable mirror to correct for a second portion of the wavefront errors.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wavefront sensor is further configured to receive a high-energy laser (HEL) beam reflected from the remote object.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the telescope comprises an off-axis telescope.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a wavefront sensor configured to receive coherent flood illumination that is reflected from a remote object and to estimate wavefront errors associated with the coherent flood illumination; and

a beam director optically coupled to the wavefront sensor and comprising a telescope and an auto-alignment system, the auto-alignment system configured to adjust at least one optical device in order to alter a line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor;

wherein the wavefront errors estimated by the wavefront sensor include a wavefront error resulting from the adjustment of the at least one optical device; and

wherein the auto-alignment system comprises:

at least one illumination source configured to generate auto-alignment illumination;

a plurality of optical elements configured to direct the auto-alignment illumination and the coherent flood illumination towards the telescope along a common optical path through the beam director, wherein the optical elements comprise at least one fast steering mirror;

a mirror optically positioned after the telescope and configured to reflect at least some of the auto-alignment illumination back towards the telescope and along the common optical path through the beam director;

at least one detector configured to receive the reflected auto-alignment illumination and to detect a position or an angle-of-arrival of the reflected auto-alignment illumination; and

a controller configured to adjust the at least one fast steering mirror based on the detected position or angle-of-arrival in order to adjust at least part of the common optical path and to adjust the line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the mirror optically positioned after the telescope comprises an annular mirror.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the annular mirror is configured such that the reflected auto-alignment illumination is spatially separated from coherent flood illumination transmitted towards the remote object and the coherent flood illumination reflected from the remote object.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:

the auto-alignment system further comprises a path length adjuster configured to adjust an optical path length of the auto-alignment illumination; and

the at least one detector is further configured to capture images of an illumination pattern caused by the at least one illumination source on the annular mirror.

12. A system comprising:

at least one illumination source configured to generate coherent flood illumination;

a wavefront sensor configured to receive the coherent flood illumination that is reflected from a remote object and to estimate wavefront errors associated with the coherent flood illumination; and

a beam director optically coupled to the wavefront sensor and comprising a telescope and an auto-alignment system, the auto-alignment system configured to adjust at least one first optical device in order to alter a line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor;

wherein the wavefront errors estimated by the wavefront sensor include a wavefront error resulting from the adjustment of the at least one first optical device; and

wherein the auto-alignment system is further configured to generate auto-alignment illumination that is reflected off a mirror and that returns to the auto-alignment system so that the auto-alignment system is able to correct for internal line-of-sight errors within the system, the mirror outside an optical path of the coherent flood illumination.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein:

the system further comprises a high-energy laser (HEL) source configured to generate HEL illumination;

the telescope comprises a focusing mechanism; and

the wavefront errors estimated by the wavefront sensor include a wavefront error resulting from the focus mechanism.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the beam director further comprises at least one second optical device configured to correct for the wavefront errors.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one second optical device comprises at least one deformable mirror.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one deformable mirror comprises a primary mirror of the telescope.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein:

the at least one second optical device comprises first and second deformable mirrors;

the first deformable mirror is configured to compensate for a first portion of the wavefront errors; and

the second deformable mirror is configured to compensate for a second portion of the wavefront errors.

18. A system comprising:

at least one first illumination source configured to generate coherent flood illumination;

a wavefront sensor configured to receive the coherent flood illumination that is reflected from a remote object and to estimate wavefront errors associated with the coherent flood illumination; and

a beam director optically coupled to the wavefront sensor and comprising a telescope and an auto-alignment system, the auto-alignment system configured to adjust at least one optical device in order to alter a line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor;

wherein the wavefront errors estimated by the wavefront sensor include a wavefront error resulting from the adjustment of the at least one optical device; and

wherein the auto-alignment system comprises:

at least one second illumination source configured to generate auto-alignment illumination;

a plurality of optical elements configured to direct the auto-alignment illumination and the coherent flood illumination towards the telescope along a common optical path through the beam director, wherein the optical elements comprise at least one fast steering mirror;

a mirror optically positioned after the telescope and configured to reflect at least some of the auto-alignment illumination back towards the telescope and along the common optical path through the beam director;

at least one detector configured to receive the reflected auto-alignment illumination and to detect a position or an angle-of-arrival of the reflected auto-alignment illumination; and

a controller configured to adjust the at least one fast steering mirror based on the detected position or angle-of-arrival in order to adjust at least part of the common optical path and to adjust the line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the mirror optically positioned after the telescope comprises an annular mirror.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the annular mirror is configured such that the reflected auto-alignment illumination is spatially separated from coherent flood illumination transmitted towards the remote object and the coherent flood illumination reflected from the remote object.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein:

the auto-alignment system further comprises a path length adjuster configured to adjust an optical path length of the auto-alignment illumination; and

the at least one detector is further configured to capture images of an illumination pattern caused by the at least one second illumination source on the annular mirror.

22. A system comprising:

at least one illumination source configured to generate coherent flood illumination;

a wavefront sensor configured to receive the coherent flood illumination that is reflected from a remote object and to estimate wavefront errors associated with the coherent flood illumination; and

a beam director optically coupled to the wavefront sensor and comprising a telescope and an auto-alignment system, the auto-alignment system configured to adjust at least one optical device in order to alter a line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor;

wherein the wavefront errors estimated by the wavefront sensor include a wavefront error resulting from the adjustment of the at least one optical device;

wherein the telescope comprises a primary mirror, a secondary mirror, and a positioner configured to move the secondary mirror; and

wherein the system further comprises:

a range sensor configured to estimate a distance to the remote object; and

a controller configured to cause the positioner to move the secondary mirror to an initial location based on the estimated distance.

23. A method comprising:

receiving coherent flood illumination that is reflected from a remote object at a wavefront sensor;

estimating wavefront errors associated with the coherent flood illumination using the wavefront sensor; and

adjusting a line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor using a beam director comprising a telescope and an auto-alignment system, the auto-alignment system adjusting at least one first optical device in order to alter the line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor;

wherein the wavefront errors estimated by the wavefront sensor include a wavefront error resulting from the adjustment of the at least one first optical device; and

wherein the auto-alignment system generates auto-alignment illumination that is reflected off a mirror and that returns to the auto-alignment system so that the auto-alignment system is able to correct for internal line-of-sight errors within a system, the mirror outside an optical path of the coherent flood illumination.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

estimating the wavefront error resulting from the adjustment of the line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the wavefront errors also include a wavefront error caused by disturbances along a path of the coherent flood illumination.

26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:

directing high-energy laser (HEL) illumination towards the remote object;

calculating a wavefront error of the HEL illumination based on the estimated wavefront error associated with the coherent flood illumination; and

adjusting the HEL illumination based on the calculated wavefront error of the HEL illumination.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein adjusting the HEL illumination comprises adjusting at least one deformable mirror of the beam director.

28. A method comprising:

receiving coherent flood illumination that is reflected from a remote object at a wavefront sensor;

estimating wavefront errors associated with the coherent flood illumination using the wavefront sensor; and

adjusting a line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor using a beam director comprising a telescope and an auto-alignment system, the auto-alignment system adjusting at least one optical device in order to alter the line-of-sight of the wavefront sensor;

wherein the wavefront errors estimated by the wavefront sensor include a wavefront error resulting from the adjustment of the at least one optical device and a wavefront error caused by disturbances along a path of the coherent flood illumination; and

wherein the method further comprises:

focusing high-energy laser (HEL) illumination on the remote object by moving a secondary mirror of the telescope;

measuring a wavefront error resulting from movement of the secondary mirror using the wavefront sensor; and

correcting the wavefront error resulting from movement of the secondary mirror using a deformable mirror.