Advanced wavefront sensing and control demonstration with MagAO-X

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates advanced wavefront sensing and control techniques with MagAO-X, including predictive control and model-free focal-plane control, to improve exoplanet imaging by reducing noise and aberrations.

Contribution

It introduces a new model-free focal-plane wavefront control method and evaluates predictive control performance on MagAO-X, enhancing adaptive optics capabilities.

Findings

Predictive control reduces temporal control error and residual halo.

Model-free focal-plane control achieves deep contrast (<1e-7 at 5 λ/D).

On-sky tests are scheduled for April 2022.

Abstract

The search for exoplanets is pushing adaptive optics systems on ground-based telescopes to their limits. Currently, we are limited by two sources of noise: the temporal control error and non-common path aberrations. First, the temporal control error of the AO system leads to a strong residual halo. This halo can be reduced by applying predictive control. We will show and described the performance of predictive control with the 2K BMC DM in MagAO-X. After reducing the temporal control error, we can target non-common path wavefront aberrations. During the past year, we have developed a new model-free focal-plane wavefront control technique that can reach deep contrast (<1e-7 at 5 $\lambda$/D) on MagAO-X. We will describe the performance and discuss the on-sky implementation details and how this will push MagAO-X towards imaging planets in reflected light. The new data-driven predictive controller and the focal plane wavefront controller will be tested on-sky in April 2022.