Coherent Optical Adaptive Techniques (COAT).

Coherent optical adaptive techniques (COAT) are designed to overcome the distortions experienced by optical beams propagating in a turbulent atmosphere. The report covers the conclusion of the fabrication phase and the start of the calibration of an experimental eighteen-element, self-adaptive, visible optical phased array. Computer simulation results are presented which define optimum AGC performance and which show initial predictions of how the 18-element system will perform. A propagation range complete with a target simulator and associated diagnostics has been constructed for atmospheric measurements with the visible system, and detailed test procedures have been developed. (Modified author abstract)