Distributed volume turbulence sensing field test campaign using digital holography

This paper describes a field test campaign evaluating a high-speed digital holographic (DH) sensor for measuring and correcting distributed volume turbulence. Optical systems, such as imaging and directed energy platforms, face significant performance challenges due to atmospheric optical turbulence, particularly strong turbulence distributed along the propagation path. DH has shown promise in addressing these issues more effectively than traditional wavefront sensors. To validate the DH sensor’s design and capabilities, we collected operationally realistic data under distributed volume turbulence conditions. Enhancements to the DH system include a highspeed camera, the optical design, and better noise reduction for daytime testing. We collected complementary atmospheric data using a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor to establish baseline conditions for the experiment. Department of Defense researchers and contractors supporting further advancements in turbulence correction technologies will be able to access high frame rate calibrated DH datasets.