Frequency based design of modal controllers for adaptive optics systems

This paper addresses the problem of reducing the effects of wavefront distortions in ground-based telescopes within a “Modal-Control” framework. The proposed approach allows the designer to optimize the Youla parameter of a given modal controller with respect to a relevant adaptive optics performance criterion defined on a “sampled” frequency domain. This feature makes it possible to use turbulence/vibration profiles of arbitrary complexity (even empirical power spectral densities from data), while keeping the controller order at a moderate value. Effectiveness of the proposed solution is also illustrated through an adaptive optics numerical simulator.