Current high-contrast imaging systems for detection of exoplanets implement wavefront control using traditional deformable mirrors (DM) developed for atmospheric turbulence correction, which require large strokes, high-speed, and continuous phase correction. However, high-contrast imaging has different requirements. Thus, developing a specialized DM for this application would enable meeting demanding requirements for future exoplanet imaging flagship missions, such as 128x128 actuator DMs, which are currently not available. This work aims to advance the Sparse Wave Front Control and demonstrate it in the laboratory, validating the simulations. We demonstrated a new technique which promises to improve direct imaging of exoplanets on space telescope missions. The technique is called Sparse Wavefront Control (SWFC). It was demonstrated in the lab at the Ames Coronagraph Experiment (ACE), with validated simulations ran on the Ames supercomputer, bringing this tech nology to TRL 3.
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