Progress with extreme adaptive optics test bench for ELT at LAM

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Abstract

Direct detection of exo-planets from the ground will become a reality with the advent of a new class of extreme-adaptive optics instruments that will come on-line within the next few years on 8-10 meters class telescopes. One major technical challenge in reaching the requisite high contrast at small angles is the sensing and control of wave front errors which becomes even more challenging in the case of the extremely large telescopes. Extensive computer simulations have shown the ability of such systems to deliver high Strehl ratio correction expected (within EPICS preliminary study for instance) but few experiments dedicated to ELTs have been realized so far. This paper will discuss the nature of this problem, and describe recent laboratory results from the LAM Extreme Adaptive Optics bench whose purpose is to provide validation of the numerical simulations as well as to be a testbed to develop concepts, architectures, and control algorithms for the future ELTs extreme adaptive optics systems. This test bench is optimized for ultra-high contrast applications requiring XAO with realistic telescope conditions reproduced by star and turbulence generators and including segmented primary mirror. We present here preliminary results, showing an RMS wavefront control at level smaller than 10 nm rms for static aberrations.

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