Wavefront measurement and control for adaptive optics
Overview
We aim to develop new ultra-sensitive wavefront analyzers for adaptive optics and precision metrology.
Maud LANGLOIS, Éric Thiébaut, Michel Tallon, CRAL
Jérôme DEGALLAIX IP2I
Anthony BOCCALETTI, LESIA
Benoit NEICHEL, LAM
The XAO-WFS project aims to develop a new generation of wavefront analyzer dedicated to high-contrast imaging of exoplanets, with a view to significantly enhancing the observational capabilities of future giant telescopes. The project has set itself several ambitious instrumental improvement targets. Our aim is to provide a prototype of a fast, highly accurate wavefront analyzer optimized for the detection of telluric planets with the future exoplanet-hunting instrument of the European giant telescope (PCS). These studies propose preliminary experiments on the scale of the Very Large Telescope in Chile.
To develop
Our research
A new generation of cutting-edge technologies for the direct detection of exoplanets
- The coming decade will see the commissioning of the European Giant Telescope (ELT), which will provide a unique capability for the direct detection of telluric exoplanets. Detecting these planets, which are hundreds of millions of times less bright than their host stars, requires the development of instruments with unprecedented performance. This is what XAO-WFS aims to do.
- XAO-WFS will accurately measure all optical disturbances originating from the atmosphere, the telescope and optical instruments, taking measurements every millisecond with nanometric precision.
- Developments from the XAO-WFS project will be integrated into the SPHERE+ and PCS instruments, which will form part of the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) major research infrastructure. These developments will ultimately be open to the entire Universe Sciences scientific community.
Objectives of our technological developments :
- Improve the accuracy of wavefront measurement down to the nanometric scale ;
- Improve measurement efficiency for fainter stars ;
- Improving measurement capability for segmented giant telescopes ;
- Optical metrology applications for a wide range of applications.
The consortium
CNRS (CRAL, IP2I, LESIA, LAM), UCBL1, Observatoire de Paris-PSL
… VISIONARY TECHNOLOGIES PAVE THE WAY FOR POWERFUL NEW INSTRUMENTS
- Astronomical systems ;
- Free-space optical wireless communications systems ;
- Biomedical imaging systems, microelectronics and laser applications ;
- Space surveillance of the Earth and near-Earth environments for safety and resources.
