Adaptive Optics

Please enquire if you are interested

Background

Adaptive optics is a new technology likely to find widespread applications in the near future. Developed by military and astronomers over the past twenty years, adaptive optics has, until recently, been very expensive, but now a complete breadboard system can be built for a relatively low cost.
Possible application areas include laser beam correction, laser beam forming, laser materials processing, scanning optical systems, optical probes and confocal microscopes, coupling of microptics, and several areas of optical imaging, including imaging of the retina in vivo.

Course Aims

 The Course is designed to:
• Explain the basic principles of adaptive optics
• Provide an introduction to wavefront sensing techniques
• Describe the components currently used for adaptive optics
• Identify new technologies of potential importance for incorporation into adaptive optical systems
• Describe current applications of adaptive optics and identify new applications

Who Should Attend?

This course is intended as an introduction to adaptive optics, particularly for those interested in

• Industrial and Medical Applications
• Military Applications
• Astronomical Applications

The course is aimed at engineers, scientists and managers with a basic training (first degree level or equivalent hands-on experience) in engineering or physics. No detailed knowledge of optics is assumed. Although the course is at an introductory level, it might also be of interest as a refresher course for those with some experience in AO.

Programme

Lectures are scheduled between 09:00 and 16:30 on Day 1 and Day 2, and between 09:00 and 14:00 on Day 3.

A demonstration sessions on adaptive optics technology will be given in one of the afternoons.

There will be plenty of opportunity for questions and discussion. An informal reception will be held on Day 1 of the course.