Mutual alignment errors due to localized distortion in free-space laser communication links

Instead of Zernike polynomials, truncated Gaussian function is proposed to express localized wave-front deformation in studying mutual alignment errors in free-space laser communication links, which simplifies the calculation. Mutual alignment errors include pointing and tracking errors which depend on transmitting and receiving optical system, respectively. It is shown that both pointing and tracking errors depend on three parameters (the center value A, the radius a and the distance d) of Gaussian localized distortion and change regularly as they increase. The maximum pointing and tracking errors always appear around A = 0.4λ (rms = π). Moreover, pointing error is more sensitive to localized wave-front deformation than tracking error. Beam truncation ratio has great influence on pointing error, and obscuration ratio has less influence on pointing and tracking errors except that antenna secondary mirror shelters parts of the localized deformation. To reduce the influence of localized aberrations, the principles how to choose the optical devices with large aperture are given, and a method that aligns the pointing direction to compensate pointing and tracking errors is suggested. The work will contribute to the design of free-space laser communication systems.