File:Adaptive_optics.gif · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
adaptive optics
Sign in to saveAlso known as AO
Technique used to improve performance of optical systems by compensating for distortions
Wikidata facts
Show 1 more fact
- Commons category
- Adaptive optics
Sources (3)
via Wikidata · CC0
~16 min read
Article
The wavefront of an aberrated image (left) can be measured using a wavefront sensor (center) and then corrected for using a deformable mirror (right).
Adaptive optics (AO) is a technique of precisely deforming a mirror in order to compensate for light distortion. It is used in astronomical telescopes and laser communication systems to remove the effects of atmospheric distortion, in microscopy, optical fabrication and in retinal imaging systems (ophthalmoscopy) to reduce optical aberrations. Adaptive optics works by measuring the distortions in a wavefront and compensating for them with a device that corrects those errors such as a deformable mirror or a liquid crystal array.