Colin Bradley (University of Victoria), Rodolphe Conan (University of Victoria), Peter J. Hampton (University of Victoria), Pan Agathoklis (University of Victoria)
Keywords: Adaptive Optics
Abstract:
In the next generation of large optical telescope (LOT), it will be essential to use adaptive optics (AO) systems to achieve optimal image quality. Furthermore, in order to meet the broad set of user requirements, several new AO configurations are currently being investigated for use on proposed LOTs. One configuration currently under investigation at the University of Victoria is the Woofer-Tweeter system. The Adaptive Optics Laboratory, at the University of Victoria, has recently completed the development of a test bench for this Woofer-Tweeter concept. This project is part of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) development program that will see completion within the next decade. The actuator density and maximum actuator stroke requirements of deformable mirrors, necessary for the LOTs, increase significantly due to the enormous collecting area of the LOT, operating site seeing, and scientific requirements. It would be cost prohibitive to try and develop a single deformable mirror that satisfies the actuator density and actuator stroke requirements. Fortunately, the large stroke requirement is for the compensation of low spatial frequency distortion. This allows a system to be designed with two deformable mirrors (DMs): (i) a high stroke, low actuator density DM termed the Woofer, and (ii) a low stroke, high actuator density DM termed the Tweeter.
The initial simulations and experimental results have shown that the controller developed in this work can appropriately split the correction between the two deformable mirrors. The Woofer, correcting for the low-spatial-low-temporal frequency disturbances, is an electro-mechanical device, whereas the Tweeter, correcting for the remaining disturbance, is a MEMS device. This paper focuses on the development and need for the woofer-tweeter test bench; bench design and operating specifications; the deformable mirror technology employed; closed loop control of the bench system when a hot air turbulence generator is introduced into the optical path; and the experimental results.
Date of Conference: September 10-14, 2006
Track: Adaptive Optics