ALPAO
| Industry | Deformable mirror Adaptive Optics |
|---|---|
| Founded | Grenoble, France (2006) |
| Founder | Dr. Frédéric Rooms |
| Headquarters | Montbonnot, France |
Area served | worldwide |
| Products | Deformable mirror and adaptive optics systems |
| Revenue | 1-2 M€ |
Number of employees | 10-20 |
| Website | www.alpao.com |
ALPAO is a company which manufactures a range of adaptive optics products for use in research and industry, including deformable mirrors with large strokes, wavefront sensors, and adaptive optics loops. These products are designed for astronomy, vision science, microscopy, wireless optical communications, and laser applications.
History
ALPAO developed from groundwork at the Université Joseph Fourier (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.
- 2014 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 deformable mirrors 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.[1][2][3] 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.[4][5] As a result, it is possible to increase the number of scientific observations.
Biological imaging
AO makes possible to shift the depth of focus, while maintaining a constant distance between the objective and the observed object to do 3D microscopy through the use of sections.
Laser
Numerous laser applications benefit from adaptive optics. For example:
- Compensating for temporal dispersion in pulsed lasers
- Improving beam quality for soldering or cutting applications.
Management
- Vincent Templeare, President and CEO
- Julien Charton, CTO and cofounder
- Vincent Hardy, Sales manager
See also
- Wavefront sensor
- Adaptive optics
- The era of adaptive optics
- Microelectromechanical systems
- Deformable mirror
References
- ^ CfAO final report
- ^ Performance of a 97-element ALPAO membrane magnetic deformable mirror in an adaptive optics - optical coherence tomography system for in vivo imaging of the human retina (Photonics Letters of Poland,2011)
- ^ Alfredo Dubra, Yusufu Sulai, Jennifer L. Norris, Robert F. Cooper, Adam M. Dubis, David R. Williams, and Joseph Carroll, "Noninvasive imaging of the human rod photoreceptor mosaic using a confocal adaptive optics scanning ophthalmoscope," Biomed. Opt. Express 2, 1864-1876 (2011)
- ^ Overview of Deformable Mirror Technologies for Adaptive Optics and Astronomy (ESO, 2012)
- ^ 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.