Application Note: Cheetah-640CL For High Speed Imaging In SWIR

The laser beams used for free-space satellite communication emit typically at 1060 nm or 1550 nm (eye-safe and low atmospheric attenuation). In reduced region of interest mode of, e.g., 100 x 100 pixels, the Cheetah camera can achieve well over 10.000 fps. This feature of the camera is being used in adaptive optics systems to correct imaging systems for atmosphere turbulence. The high speed Cheetah camera, mounted behind a Shack-Hartmann sensor to measure the wave distortion, provides active feedback to the deformable telescope mirror in order to have a corrected wavefront on the highspeed demodulator.