Characteristics of the USLP based beacon for laser beam control

Effective performance of laser systems intended for power delivery on a distant object requires an adaptive optics system to correct the laser beam distortions caused by atmospheric perturbations along the propagation path. The turbulenceinduced effects are responsible for beam wobbling, wandering, and intensity scintillation, resulting in degradation of the beam quality and decline of the power density on the target. Adaptive optics methods are used to compensate these negative effects. In its turn, operation of the Adaptive Optics System (AOS) requires a reference wave that can be generated by the beacon on the target. This report discusses the requirements to the beacon that can support optimal correction of the wavefront. Post-processing of the beacon-generated light field enables retrieval and detailed characterization of the turbulence-perturbed wavefront -data essential to control the adaptive optics module of a highpower laser system.