Optics Valley Technical Series: Adaptive Optics Methods, Technologies, Applications and Results

To quote Lord Kelvin, “…when you cannot measure it … your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind…” (W. Thomson, 1883). Adaptive optics is all about measuring and then satisfactorily correcting dynamic optical wavefront aberration in real time to a small fraction of a wavelength of light. In this presentation, Dr. Michael Hart will describe the basic principles of AO and touch on the range of hardware available to implement the technique. Many varied applications can take advantage of AO; characterizing extra-solar planets, for example, and enhancing yield in a nuclear fusion reactor. Dr. Hart will discuss its use for high resolution imaging in astronomy and space domain awareness for national security, and to improve link robustness and transmission rate in free-space optical communications. Finally, he will show some recent results from HartSCI’s new product line of commercial AO systems.

Who Should Attend?

• DoD + associated primes
• Astronomical community

HartSCI is based in the world-renowned Optics Valley in Tucson, Arizona. Since 2008 the HartSCI team has been using their expertise in astronomy and optics to solve hard challenges in high-resolution imaging and related sensing technologies. Their innovative team of scientists and engineers is changing the way the astronomy community can use smaller telescopes for exploration of the heavens.  Their ongoing work enables aerospace and major government partners to advance their capabilities in the fields of detection, custody and characterization of space-based assets for SDA and ISR missions. By applying the experience and techniques learned from their years of participation in the development of world-class observatories and instrumentation they are now bringing advanced imaging instrumentation to the broader astronomy community.		Optics Valley, a committee of the Arizona Technology Council, is one of the leading clusters for optics, photonics and astronomy in the world. Optics Valley’s mission is to catalyze, convene and connect optics, photonics, astronomy and the supporting business interests throughout Arizona.