ALPAO is a company which manufactures a range of adaptive optics products for use in research and industry, including

deformable mirror Deformable mirrors (DM) are mirrors whose surface can be deformed, in order to achieve wavefront control and correction of optical aberrations. Deformable mirrors are used in combination with wavefront sensors and real-time control systems in ada ...

s with large strokes,

wavefront sensor In physics, the wavefront of a time-varying ''wave field'' is the set (locus) of all points having the same '' phase''. The term is generally meaningful only for fields that, at each point, vary sinusoidally in time with a single temporal frequ ...

s, and adaptive optics loops. These products are designed for

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...

, vision science,

microscopy Microscopy is the technical field of using microscopes to view objects and areas of objects that cannot be seen with the naked eye (objects that are not within the resolution range of the normal eye). There are three well-known branches of micr ...

, wireless optical communications, and

laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The fir ...

applications.

History

ALPAO developed from groundwork at the

Université Joseph Fourier Joseph Fourier University (UJF, french: Université Joseph Fourier, also known as Grenoble I) was a French university situated in the city of Grenoble and focused on the fields of sciences, technologies and health. It is now part of the Universit ...

( Grenoble) and Floralis. In 2006 and 2008 ALPAO received awards for innovative technology from the French Ministry of Research. Other ALPAO partners include the Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble, OSEO, ANR, Région Rhône-Alpes, Grenoble Alpes Incubation, the Reseau Entreprendre and Business France. * 2017 ALPAO signs major contracts to supply

Observatoire de Paris The Paris Observatory (french: Observatoire de Paris ), a research institution of the Paris Sciences et Lettres University, is the foremost astronomical observatory of France, and one of the largest astronomical centers in the world. Its histor ...

with a state-of-the-art high order DM, Physical Sciences Inc. with DM's for retinal imagers, ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer array for adaptive optics upgrade of the auxiliary telescopes. ALPAO extends its range of deformable mirrors and adaptive optics systems. *2016 ALPAO signs 2 major contracts with

ESO The European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, commonly referred to as the European Southern Observatory (ESO), is an intergovernmental research organisation made up of 16 member states for ground-based ast ...

to develop new deformable mirrors for next generation instruments and an agreement with Georgia State University for adaptive optics upgrade on telescopes at CHARA array. * 2015 ALPAO released the DM468 and the DM820. * 2013 ALPAO released the DM97-08 dedicated to vision science application. * 2012 ALPAO join EVEON group. * 2009 ALPAO introduces a new drive electronics increasing the performances of magnetic deformable mirrors. * 2008 ALPAO introduces a new patented technology for deformable mirrors with increased strokes and improved optimal temporal response. * 2007 ALPAO introduces its own wavefront sensor for closed loop operations * 2006 ALPAO introduces a low speed deformable mirror.

Applications

ALPAO’s

s can be used in the following disciplines for image enhancement:

Vision science

Diagnosing illnesses of the eye may require high resolution images of the retina. Images taken using conventional instruments may be too poor in quality due to aberrations introduced by the eye itself. Adaptive optics offers a technique for restoring the image quality. In addition, adaptive optics may be used to create a vision simulator.

Astronomy

Turbulence introduced by the atmosphere degrades images taken using telescopes. Using adaptive optics recovers much of the information that is lost.N. Miura, "Solar Adaptive Optics System and Observations at the Hida Observatory," in Imaging Systems Applications , OSA Technical Digest (CD) (Optical Society of America, 2011), paper JWA26.
/ref> As a result, it is possible to increase the number of scientific observations.

Microscopy

AO systems can correct for the sample aberration but also for the microscope and spherical aberration introduced by index mismatch. If not corrected, these aberrations reduce the resolution of the microscope.

Defense and Space

Turbulence introduced by the atmosphere degrades performances of numerous applications like: satellite imaging, advanced imaging systems,

Free Space Optical communication Free-space optical communication (FSO) is an optical communication technology that uses light propagating in free space to wirelessly transmit data for telecommunications or computer networking. "Free space" means air, outer space, vacuum, or ...

and laser weapon. Deformable mirror technology enables an optimal compensation of this effect.

Laser and Physics

Laser beam shaping is showing a high increase of performance in numerous applications in physics like: * Atomic trapping * Light matter interaction at the atomic level for fundamental physics * Microelectronics mask correction * Laser cutting * Quantum computing * Free form metrology

Management

*Vincent Templeare, President and

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

*Piero Bruno, Sales Director *Julien Charton, CSO and cofounder

References

{{Reflist Manufacturing companies established in 2006 Optics manufacturing companies French companies established in 2006 Manufacturing companies of France