A visible/infra-red low noise fast readout wavefront sensor for all-sky adaptive optics

Current adaptive optic systems are limited by the read noise and sensitivity of their wavefront cameras. Recent advances in substrate thinning are producing focal plane arrays with high quantum efficiencies and extended spectral response over 0.5 to 1.6 microns. Infra Red Laboratories have developed and tested a new ultra-low noise readout integrated circuit (ROIC) that has a performance of 2 electrons (r.m.s.) per pixel read. We combine these two technologies to produce a new detector capable of dramatically increasing the number of available natural guide stars across the sky (and hence increased sky coverage), even in heavily obscured regions near the Galactic plane.