Remote sensing measurements are increasingly becoming diffraction-limited by default, taking advantage of the improved resolution and sensitivity afforded by AO systems. A new and diverse set of observations, using imagers, spectrographs, polarimeters, and others, will become possible even in the presence of “deep turbulence.” With this vision in mind, and recognizing the fact that the rate-limiting step in AO performance is ultimately governed by that of its wavefront sensor (WFS), the Beam Control Lab at the University of Notre Dame is developing remote sensing technologies that will advance a number of fields relevant to the academy and industry. Our recent lab experiments have shown that a Fresnel WFS is an order of magnitude more sensitive than a comparable Shack-Hartmann WFS and also immune to scintillation. In this presentation, I will describe progress in advancing the technology readiness level of the Fresnel WFS.
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