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Toptica Wins ESO Contract for Laser Guide Stars

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VICTOR, N.Y., June 28, 2010 — Toptica Photonics has won a €5.2 million (about $6.4 million) contract from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) to develop four continuous-wave, high-power laser guide stars for the ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Paranal, Chile. Orange laser guide star in operation at the Very Large Telescope VLT of ESO, on the top of mountain Cerro Paranal in Chile. The guide stars, to be developed by Toptica and its Montreal-based partner, MPB Communications, and installed at the telescope in September 2013, will be based on amplified and frequency-doubled diode laser systems. A...Read full article

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    Published: June 2010
    Glossary
    adaptive optics
    Adaptive optics (AO) is a technology used to improve the performance of optical systems by reducing the effects of atmospheric distortions. The Earth's atmosphere can cause light passing through it to experience distortions, resulting in image blurring and degradation in various optical applications, such as astronomical observations, laser communications, and imaging systems. Adaptive optics systems actively adjust the optical elements in real-time to compensate for these distortions. Key...
    amplifier
    A device that enlarges and strengthens a signal's output without significantly distorting its original waveshape. There are amplifiers for acoustical, optical and electronic signals.
    astronomy
    The scientific observation of celestial radiation that has reached the vicinity of Earth, and the interpretation of these observations to determine the characteristics of the extraterrestrial bodies and phenomena that have emitted the radiation.
    dye laser
    A laser using a dye solution as its active medium. Its output is a short pulse of broad spectral content and its achievable gain is high. Dye lasers function at room temperature. Synchronous pumping can be used to produce a continuous train of tunable picosecond pulses for sustained periods.
    optical
    Pertaining to optics and the phenomena of light.
    telescope
    An afocal optical device made up of lenses or mirrors, usually with a magnification greater than unity, that renders distant objects more distinct, by enlarging their images on the retina.
    wavelength
    Electromagnetic energy is transmitted in the form of a sinusoidal wave. The wavelength is the physical distance covered by one cycle of this wave; it is inversely proportional to frequency.
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