Abstract

Recent advances in thin flexible membrane-based primary mirrors suggest optical telescopes may be based on such lightweight alternatives to conventional primary mirrors. However, such systems are expected to have large time-dependent aberrations exceeding the correction capabilities of conventional adaptive optics techniques such as deformable mirrors. The alternative technique of real-time holography can compensate for these severe aberrations dramatically exceeding the magnitude of compensation typically achieved with conventional deformable mirrors. Historically, demonstrations of such large aberrations have been carried out with static emulsion holograms and dynamic holograms in nonlinear optical materials.

© 2000 IEEE