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Compact Adaptive Optics for Demonstration and Basic Research

Compact Adaptive Optics for Demonstration and Basic Research. Current needy groups: 1. Tour groups – basic principles/AO in action 2. Incoming CfAO researchers with little background in AO 3. Students in AO class/short courses/summer programs – possible hands-on projects

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Compact Adaptive Optics for Demonstration and Basic Research

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  1. Compact Adaptive Optics for Demonstration and Basic Research Current needy groups: 1. Tour groups – basic principles/AO in action 2. Incoming CfAO researchers with little background in AO 3. Students in AO class/short courses/summer programs – possible hands-on projects 4. Research that requires only the bare, inexpensive necessities 5. Who else? Tools available to the CfAO: 1. Vision systems (Eric Steinbring) – measure wavefront of eye 2. Tip/tilt correction system on 10” telescope (bad performance) 3. Less accessible systems at Livermore, UCSC Optics shops, and Rochester 4. What else? Where?

  2. AO Demonstrator – Key concepts Inexpensive – (< $20k) Compact and easily deployable Cater to wide range of user experience and competence levels Quick and dirty operation possible Visible results, if necessary Interactive (inquiry, possibly?) Robust – operable under changing conditions and optical alignments Modular – software can be changed easily, optics can be traded out

  3. AO Demonstrator – Current Status An AO Demonstrator system is being constructed in the Laboratory for Adaptive Optics (LAO) in Thimann Currently residing on a 2’ x 2’ optical breadboard – can be placed on a cart Parts are from image-sharpening Intellite system ($15k) – Deformable mirror, desktop computer, voltage drivers, and camera System has been converted to Shack-Hartmann with purchased components (lenslet array, lenses, input laser, optical mounts, etc.) Currently writing graphical user interface for Shack-Hartmann system

  4. DM Laser AO Demonstrator – Optical Layout Beamsplitter Lenlet Array Camera High voltage drivers Camera Computer

  5. Levels of Interaction Simple/facilitated – for tour groups. Abberate beam with glass or turbulence and observe corrected results. Complex – for students. Change optical alignment and look for differences in observables like Strehl, bandwidth, etc. Compare Shack-Hartmann to Image sharpening. Complete – for researchers or student projects. Change source code (Visual C++) or add different reconstructors besides pseudo-inverted influence matrices.

  6. Questions I’m looking for suggestions about the graphical user interface: 1. What do tour groups want to see? 2. What types of projects are students looking for? What timescales? 3. What else is necessary? Who else would be interested? - Don Wiberg & Bing Xu are looking at changing the reconstructor and measuring Strehl - Possible utility for supporting other LAO work (improving laser quality, quick & dirty tests) How far from the CfAO can it travel?

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