Corner cube array COAT.

A novel coherent optical adaptive system based on the pistonwise control of an array of corner cubes (CCA-COAT) is presented as phase conjugator. Its performance is analytically examined in detail, and it is numerically compared with that of a segmented-mirror COAT, showing that the CCA-COAT can attain typically a several times larger Strehl ratio when the same number of elements is used. Some basic experimental results indicating its effectiveness are also shown.