Subaru coronagraphic extreme adaptive optics (SCExAO): wavefront control optimized for high-contrast imaging (Conference Presentation)

Abstract

The SCExAO system is a flexible high contrast imaging platform for exoplanet imaging on the 8-m Subaru Telescope. SCExAO's wavefront control architecture relies on both visible and infrared wavefront sensors to measure, correct and calibrate wavefront errors. The wavefront control loop, optimized for high contrast imaging, includes predictive control, sensor fusion and focal plane speckle control to address the performance limits of current extreme-AO systems: non-common path errors, time-lag and chromaticity. The control software is also designed to enable rapid prototyping of new wavefront algorithm, as one goal of the SCExAO project is to explore and validate new high contrast imaging approaches to guide the design of future ELT high contrast imaging systems. We describe the SCExAO wavefront control architecture and its software implementation. Recent on-sky results are presented, and future steps are describted. Current and future high contrast imaging performance are provided. We discuss findings (lessons learned) in the context of future exoplanet imaging instrument developments.