Gradient-Based Algorithm for Optimal Positioning of an Optical Instrument used for Laser Data Transmission

This paper deals with the problem of precise positioning of an optical instrument using a two-axis astronomical mount to facilitate laser communication. The aim is to maximize the intensity of laser signal detected by a receiver. To address this, a closed-loop control algorithm based on the gradient approximation in the configuration space of the manipulator is proposed. Laboratory scaled experiments demonstrate that the considered method makes it possible to achieve the required quality of positioning the transmitter and receiver and can be used to maintain a high value of signal-to-noise ratio in communication tasks.