Global adaptive optics components market by wavefront modulator is expected to grow at CAGR 36.90% during the forecast period 2019–2026.
Smart optics is one of the developing fields that includes active and adaptive optics applications in astronomy. Today, most of the largest ground-based telescopes are using wavefront sensors to analyze the distortion of signals by atmosphere and wavefront modulators such as deformable mirrors to compensate these effects. These techniques are becoming a part of various operations of James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and NASA's Next Generation Space Telescope. Thus, offering potential opportunity in the future missions for laser interferometer space antenna (LISA) technology and X-ray evolving universe spectroscopy (XEUS) both developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) for greater accuracy using optical wavelengths.
The next revolution in the telescope technology is likely to offer an opportunity to use lightweight materials such as carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) for manufacturing telescope and optics. The telescopes are now being constructed entirely from CFRP for Navy Optical Prototype Interferometer (NPOI). These telescopes are rigid and offer better optical figures to enhance the performance of telescopes. For instance, The Astronomical Observatory of Brera (OAB) is inspecting a technique for manufacturing optical components that have the potential to fulfill the requirements such as cost-effectiveness and short-time delivery.
| Report Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Base Year | 2017 |
| Study Period | 2016-2026 |
| Forecast Period | 2023-2031 |
| CAGR | 36.90% |
| Market Size | 1420 |
| Fastest Growing Market | North America |
| Largest Market | Europe |
| Report Coverage | Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, Environment & Regulatory Landscape and Trends |
| Geographies Covered |
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Rising demand for adaptive optics in high resolution-microscopy is expected to drive the adaptive optics market growth during the forecast period 2019–2026. High-resolution microscopy is in excessive demand in the health and medicine sector which provides medical researchers a detailed close-up glimpse of microbes, including various injurious and destructive viruses that are tiny for existing microscopes. Adaptive optics helps to improve understanding of the microbes that affect the immune system of human cells. Moreover, it helps researchers to study replication of virus genes in infected cultures or tissues and to introduce new antiviral chemotherapies for controlling hazardous diseases.
Increasing use of adaptive optics in free-space laser communication is expected to fuel the adaptive optics component market. It offers speed over long distances at high bandwidth and improves performance, reduces overall transceiver size and power requirements suitable for any weather condition. According to the Optical Society of America (OSA), adaptive optics can decrease Bit Error Rate (BER) with two orders of magnitude.
Additionally, free space optical systems have gained considerable popularity as companies continue to solve the “last mile” problem due to the short setup time. For instance, FSO companies were hired by the U.S. government for solving a tragic terrorist incident of the World Trade Centre (WTC) towers on September 11, 2001. A link was set up in the WTC aftermath and was used for free-space optical communications across the Hudson River to a nearby New Jersey location.
Geographically, the global adaptive optics component market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa (LAMEA).
North America is expected to witness significant growth in the adaptive optics component market owing to an increased focus on the development of advanced optics systems and their adoption in the astronomical field for delivering sharper images during the forecast period 2019–2026. For instance, in October 2018, W. M. Keck Observatory received observatory funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for building the next-generation AO system known as Keck All-Sky Precision Adaptive Optics (KAPA). This technology would primarily focus on delivering sharper images of the universe with nearly 100% clarity by upgrading three major components: laser, a computer that calculates real-time correction, and a camera that measures atmospheric turbulence.
Europe is expected to witness considerable growth in adaptive optics component market during the forecast period 2019–2026. This is attributed to technology playing a key role in the success of the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) project. For instance, in July 2018, European Southern Observatory (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) achieved huge success by capturing sharp test images of Neptune planet and other objects. The observatory has introduced a new adaptive optics mode called laser tomography for capturing such high-resolution images.
In Asia Pacific retinal imaging is one of the primary applications that has favoured the market growth for the last few years owing to the development of devices for capturing high-quality back-end images of eyes with adaptive optics technology. For instance, in February 2016, Imagine Eyes announced its first installation of adaptive optics based retinal camera at the Eye Hospital Wenzhou Medical University in Hangzhou (China).
However, LAMEA is expected to witness moderate growth due to the growing focus on developing high-end astronomical equipment to cut atmospheric distortion for producing higher clarity images is likely to revolutionize the ground-based optical astronomy in the region.
The global adaptive optics components market is segmented by type, applications and region.
On the basis of type, the adaptive optics components market is segmented by wavefront sensors, wavefront modulators, control systems, and others. Wavefront sensors by type is expected to dominate the global adaptive optics market due to its various applications including laser beam diagnostics, ophthalmology, metrology, and microscopy. Moreover, it is used for detecting the wavefront distortion in real-time. The wavefront curvature techniques possesses a considerable amount of opportunities for metrology applications. Additionally, the control system is projected to witness exponential growth in the global adaptive component optics market due to its growing use in measuring the shape of wavefront and producing the signals that represent the wavefront.
By application, the adaptive optics components market is segmented by consumer goods, astronomy, military & defense, biomedical, industrial & manufacturing, and others. Military & Defense sector is expected to be one of the largest contributors to the adaptive optics market as the military capabilities of various countries are rapidly expanding across the globe and adaptive optics are used to develop highly advanced guidance system and state-of-the-art defense weapons in sector. For instance, the U.S. Air Force Boeing Airborne Laser, also known as the ABL, is designed using adaptive optics to detect enemy ballistic missiles in boost phase and destroy them in flight aboard a converted 747 jumbo jet.
