Niek Doelman
|
RESEARCH AREA
The Control of Optical Wavefields – my research has a focus on novel technologies in modeling, control, sensing and correction of Optical Wavefields in Free Space. I aim at improving the imaging resolution of optical telescopes (ground & space), increasing the data rate of Free Space Optical communication links, improving the contrast in the direct imaging and characterization of exo-planets, enhancing the secret key-rate in QKD over Free Space Optical channels and improving the ground resolution of Earth-observation satellites.
Specific Topics: Active and Adaptive Wavefield correction, Adaptive Optics, High-performance MIMO Control, Non-stationary disturbances, Adaptive control, Deformable mirrors, Wavefront sensing, Optical turbulence modeling, Scintillation and fading in Free Space Optical channels and Wavefield propagation through turbulent media.
The research connects well to the TNO roadmaps of:
- Industry/ Space: Laser Satellite Communication, Space Science, Astronomy and Earth Observation and Industry/Semiconductor Equipment
- Defence, Safety and Security: Information and Sensor systems
- ICT: Digital Infrastructure and Quantum-safe Technologies
RECENT RESULTS
- Adaptive wavefield correction strategy to reduce phase and amplitude errors in optical beams for free space data communication.
- Anisoplanatic effects in Adaptive Optics systems; detailed analysis of temporal, spatial and angular sources and optimized approaches to maximize the AO performance under anisoplanatism.
- Direct Contrast control by Adaptive Optics in exoplanet imaging systems.
- Robust and adaptive control for adaptive optics under non-stationary turbulence and time-varying observation conditions.
- NWO program ‘Optical Wireless Superhighways’ granted (March 2021), 2 research positions at Leiden University on Adaptive Wavefield Correction of Fading FSO Channels.
PHD SUPERVISION
- Maaike van Kooten; funding: ELT-Metis, NOVA Instrument Steering Committee, Sterrewacht Leiden and TNO.
- Vikram Radhakrishnan; funding: Sterrewacht Leiden and TNO.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
- Niek Doelman, “The minimum of the time-delay wavefront error in Adaptive Optics”, accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 2020.
- Maaike van Kooten, Niek Doelman and Matthew Kenworthy, “Impact of time-variant turbulence behavior on prediction for adaptive optics systems”, Journal of the Optical Society of America A 36 (5), 731-740, 2019.
- Niek Doelman and James Osborn, “Modelling and prediction of non-stationary optical turbulence behaviour”, Proc. SPIE 9909, Adaptive Optics Systems V, 99091M (2016).
- Wimar Klop, Rudolf Saathof, Niek Doelman et al., “QKD optical ground terminal developments”, International Conference on Space Optics, 2021.
LINKS