Closed loop results of a compact high-speed adaptive optics system with H∞ control

We report on the results of experiments that demonstrate a robust control system for a general-purpose adaptive optics system and provide robust stability analysis for such a system. Using a commercially available high-speed CCD camera in the Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor and a 37-actuator Xinetics deformable mirror, we are able to achieve closed-loop performance sufficient for many astronomical, vision science, or laser communications applications. The control system must be robust for the various applications, and the entire system must be easily set-up, calibrated, and run by a minimally trained operator. An H-infinity controller, which optimizes the closed-loop stability of a system, is implemented and analyzed.