Adaptive Optics Design Project

The course consists of the realization of laboratory experiments to design and operate Adaptive Optics equipment to realize high-resolution imaging systems. Crucial in the design is the alignment of active optics systems and in the operation the development of algorithms for acquiring accurate information about the wavefront aberrations from intensity-based imaging components (like Shack-Hartmann sensors or CCD cameras) and using this wavefront information in the tuning of multivariable dynamic controllers to compensate in real-time the wavefront aberrations. The design is conducted under close supervision by world-leading experts in the field and is performed in groups of students. The size of the groups depends on the number of participants in this course. The course requires hands-on experiments, Python coding, and presenting the results in a report and/or a joint final presentation.