Adaptive Optics Post-Doc and Research engineer Full-time

Adaptive Optics (AO) corrects atmospheric turbulence in real time, enabling diffraction-limited imaging from the ground. Originally developed for astronomy—where it has transformed observations of black holes, exoplanets, and asteroids—AO now plays a key role in Free Space Optical communications (stabilizing laser links) and Space Domain Awareness (tracking satellites, debris, and near-Earth objects).

Expanding AO to these domains introduces challenges: extreme performance for faint or high-contrast targets, robustness under varying turbulence, and autonomy for distributed systems. To address this, the group integrates Artificial Intelligence into AO control loops, using deep learning to handle sensor nonlinearities, reinforcement learning for predictive control, and digital twins to bridge simulation and real-world deployment.

The next step is on-sky demonstration, supported by access to telecom and astronomy infrastructures. To achieve this, the group at LAM—30 people strong, with HPC and ML expertise through CESAM and in close collaboration with ONERA and Bertin-ALPAO—is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher and a research engineer. These positions offer the opportunity to develop and test intelligent AO systems in a unique academic–industrial ecosystem.

Tagged as: Data Science, Engineering, Physics