Wavefront Compensation With the Micro Corner-Cube Reflector Array in Modulating Retroreflector Free-Space Optical Channels

In this article, the micro corner-cube reflector array (MCCRA) is considered as the optical retroreflector in the modulating retroreflector (MRR) free-space optical (FSO) channel and its wavefront compensation accompanying with the pseudo phase conjugate optical return wave in the double-pass propagation is investigated by the theoretical analysis and wave-optics (WO) simulation. By WO simulations, we show the impacts of the shape and size of the retroreflector cell, the whole aperture size of the MCCRA, the turbulence condition on the beam spot, the Strehl ratio and the scintillation index of the return wave. Also, we investigate the limitations caused by the phase errors of the MCCRA and the oblique incidence of the optical beam. Finally, the wavefront compensation is demonstrated by the experiments conducted in a laboratory atmospheric chamber.