Adaptive optics (AO) systems outperform their non-adaptive counterparts, significantly enhancing performance. In recent years, their applications have broadened from satellite imaging, aerial photography, and astronomical observation to encompass biological imaging, microscopic imaging, laser communication, environmental monitoring, resource surveys, and military reconnaissance.

AO, categorized as active optics, excels in its adaptability. It actively detects and compensates for wavefront distortions in real-time, mitigating the effects of atmospheric turbulence on signals, thereby enhancing image quality and resolution. This technology manipulates optical wavefronts to elevate the performance of optical systems.

First introduced in 1953, AO has undergone significant advancements over 70 years, driven by breakthroughs in optics, mechanics, and electronics. As a result, AO systems have evolved through multiple iterations, with new architectures such as laser guide star and large field-of-view adaptive optics systems emerging rapidly.

Despite their complexity and cost, which currently restrict their use to high-precision projects, AO systems are increasingly being adopted across various fields. According to the "Research Report on Application Market Demand and Development Opportunities in China's Adaptive Optics (AO) Industry from 2025 to 2029" by Xin Sijie Industry Research Center, China's AO market surpassed 4 billion yuan in 2023. It is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of over 25% from 2024 to 2029, fueled by rising downstream application demands, indicating vast development potential.

AO systems are classified into two types based on detection methods: direct wavefront detection and indirect wavefront detection. The latter often employs wavefront correction elements like deformable mirrors and spatial light modulators to rectify optical errors, improving imaging performance.

Direct wavefront detection-based AO systems consist of three key components: a wavefront detector (or sensor), a wavefront controller, and a wavefront corrector. The detector identifies wavefront aberrations, the controller processes these errors into control signals, and the corrector translates these signals into wavefront phase changes, achieving conjugate correction of wavefront errors.

Xin Sijie's industry analysts highlight global leaders in AO product research and development, including Dynamic optics (Italy), oko (Netherlands), EarlySight (Switzerland), Active (Israel), Aplegen (USA), ALPAO (France), as well as Chinese institutions like the Institute of Optics and Electronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Nanjing Institute of Astronomical Optics and Technology, Ningbo Qijing Technology, and Boshi Medical.

Boshi Medical's Xingjing® stands out as the world's first commercially available adaptive optics fundus imaging system (AO-SLO), approved for marketing in January 2024. Additionally, the National Key Laboratory of Adaptive Optics, established jointly by the Institute of Optics and Electronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, was officially inaugurated in October 2024, marking the first meeting of its academic committee.

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