ABSTRACT

Systems using adaptive optics are commonly called adaptive optical telescopes or adaptive optical imaging (AOI) systems. AOI systems must basically perform two main functions: sense the wave front deformations and compensate in real time for the deformation. This chapter presents qualitative discussion of the factors that fundamentally limit AOI system performance. It also presents AOI system performance modeling. The chapter provides a discussion of the metrics that are used to measure performance. It also provides the required statistical description of the residual wave front phase. The deformable mirror (DM) is the system component that performs the wave front correction. There are two broad classes of DM. These two classes are categorized by the nature of the mirror surface: segmented or continuous. The surface of a segmented DM is controlled by positioning a number of independently controlled, closely packed, flat mirror segments. The disadvantages associated with segmented deformable mirrors are largely addressed by continuous deformable mirrors.