The global adaptive optics market was valued at $0.49 billion in 2021, and is projected to reach $4.9 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 25.6% from 2022 to 2031.
Adaptive optics (AO) is a branch of optics and photonics integrated with optical systems for beam propagation, communications, and microscopy. The technology is used to enhance the performance of the visual ecosystem by minimizing the effect of incoming wavefront distortion by deforming a mirror so that it can compensate for the distortion. Moreover, adaptive optics helps in negating the inaccuracies experienced while measuring and imaging due to distortions seen in light waves, thereby enhancing the performance of the optical instruments. Also, it finds its applications in retinal imaging, laser communication, and biological research. The system contains three main components wavefront sensor, control system, and wavefront modulator.
Researchers have found the applications of adaptive optics systems across industries, including manufacturing and spectroscopy. For instance, in 2019, U.S. National Eye Institute researchers used Vivo fluorescence ophthalmoscopy and adaptive optics (AO) to capture mosaic patterns created by humans' retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). In addition, the application of adaptive optics systems in military and defense industry applications such as satellite imaging, free-space optical communication, and laser weapon, among others, has gained significant traction, driving the market growth.
The factors such as adoption in the field of astronomy, growing prevalence of retinal degeneration diseases, and rise in demand for high-resolution microscopy in various biomedical research operations supplement the growth of the adaptive optics market. However, high initial cost of adaptive systems and complex design & optimization of space optical solutions are the factors expected to hamper the growth of the adaptive optics market. In addition, increasing demand for photonics enabled products to enhance system efficiency to aid growth and rising R&D investments in advanced optics technology creates market opportunities for the key players operating in the adaptive optics industry.
By Component
Wavefront Modulator is projected as the most lucrative segment
The adaptive optics market is segmented into component, industry vertical, application and region. By component, the market is divided into wavefront sensor, wavefront modulator, and control system. By industry vertical, it is fragmented into astronomy, biomedical, military & defense, industrial & manufacturing, and others (free-space optical communication, sensing, and others). By application, it is categorized into ophthalmology, microscopy, laser application, and others. By region, it is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.
The leading players operating in the adaptive optics market are Active Optical Systems LLC, Adaptica, Aka Optics SAS, ALPAO, Baker Adaptive Optics, Benchmark Electronics, Inc., Boston Micromachines Corporation, Edmund Optics Inc., Electro Optic Systems Pty Ltd., Flexible Optical B.V., Imagine Optic, Iris AO, Inc., Northrop Grumman Corporation, Phasics, Synopsys, Inc., Teledyne e2v, and Thorlabs, Inc.
By Industry Vertical
Others is projected as the most lucrative segment
Adoption in the field of astronomy
Over the last 20 years, several exoplanets have been found, and their study has become a high priority in the scientific field. Direct imaging of these exoplanets nearby and the surrounding in which they form and evolve is challenging due to the more minor angular separation relative to the central star and high contrast ratio. To tackle these challenges, ground-based telescopes must be equipped with adaptive optics systems to get high-contrast images. Adaptive optics is a powerful new technique to sharpen telescope images blurred by the Earth's atmosphere. For instance, in January 2020, National Science Foundation (NSF), the newest Inouye Solar 4-meter Telescope, produced the first image that uses adaptive optics to compensate for the blurring created by Earth’s atmosphere. Also, in February 2020, researchers from First Light Imaging, Aix Marseille University, and the University Grenoble Alpes began a SWIR camera for adaptive optics that has low noise for free-space optical communications that runs at 600 frames per second (fps) and has a standard size, weight, and power (SWaP) as well as low cost. With such more projects, the demand for adaptive optics in astronomy is expected to drive market growth.
By Application
Others is projected as the most lucrative segment
Growing prevalence of retinal degeneration diseases
The human retina is a uniquely accessible tissue. It contains millions of light-sensitive cells (rods & cones) and other nerve cells that receive and organize visual information. Currently, treatment is available for some retinal diseases to stop or slow the disease and preserve, improve, or restore vision. Tools like scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and spectral domain optical coherence tomography provide clinicians with clear pictures of the living retina. Although the anterior optics of the eye permit such non-invasive visualization of the retina and associated pathology, the same optics induce significant aberrations that obviate cellular-resolution imaging in most cases. Adaptive optics (AO) imaging systems use active optical elements to compensate for abnormalities in the optical path between the object and the camera. When applied to the human eye, AO allows direct visualization of individual rod and cone photoreceptor cells, retinal pigment epithelium cells, and white blood cells. AO imaging has changed the vision of scientists and ophthalmologists to see the retina, helping to clarify our understanding of the retinal structure, function, and the etiology of various retinal pathologies. Thus, such development in medical applications is expected to fuel market growth.
High initial cost of adaptive systems
Adaptive optics is a maturing science and has proven helpful in numerous laboratory and field demonstrations. Its leading application is imaging through the atmosphere for satellite monitoring and astronomy. However, the high cost of traditional wavefront-correction systems has limited this technology to well-funded research labs. These systems use expensive deformable mirrors with hundreds of piezo-actuated elements priced as high as $2000 per actuator. Thus, the high initial cost of adaptive systems hampers the market's growth during the forecast period.
By Region
Asia-Pacific would exhibit the highest CAGR of 29.0% during 2022-2031
Increasing demand for photonics enabled products to enhance system efficiency to aid growth
Fiber optic telephony, optical data storage, displays, and laser printing are the main applications of photonics technology. Devices with photonics capabilities are more energy-efficient, last longer, more accurate, and operate more quickly. Furthermore, additive manufacturing and LiDAR are emerging photonics technologies for high bandwidth, multi-channel wavelength compiled with optical communication. For instance, In August 2021, Bridger photonics and a southern California gas company signed a USD 12 million contract to survey gas leaks with its LiDAR technology. Applications for silicon-based photonics are the main factors driving the photonics market. Hybrid silicon lasers, which combine silicon and group III-V semiconductors, are used in telecommunications and data center applications because they use the light-emitting properties of both materials. In February 2021, iXblue photonics and photonics Bretagne signed an agreement on distributing micro-structured and multicore fiber worldwide. These new fibers are used for applications in industrial and medical lasers in the field of sensors (temperature, strain). Thus, enhancing photonics-enabled products to enhance system efficiency creates a lucrative opportunity for the adaptive optics market in the forecast period.
Key Benefits For Stakeholders
- This study presents analytical depiction of the global adaptive optics market analysis along with current trends and future estimations to depict imminent investment pockets.
- The overall adaptive optics market opportunity is determined by understanding profitable trends to gain a stronger foothold.
- The report presents information related to the key drivers, restraints, and opportunities of the global adaptive optics market with a detailed impact analysis.
- The current adaptive optics market is quantitatively analyzed from 2021 to 2031 to benchmark the financial competency.
- Porter’s five forces analysis illustrates the potency of the buyers and suppliers in the industry.
Adaptive Optics Market Report Highlights
| Aspects | Details |
 Market Size By 2031 | USD 4.9 billion |
 Growth Rate | CAGR of 25.6% |
 Forecast period | 2021 - 2031 |
 Report Pages | 304 |
 By Component |
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 By Industry Vertical |
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 By Application |
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 By Region |
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 Key Market Players | Synopsys, Inc., Iris AO, Inc., Northrop Grumman Corporation, Thorlabs, Inc., Flexible Optical B.V., Edmund Optics Inc., Boston Micromachines Corporation, Teledyne e2v, Adaptica, Phasics, Imagine Optic, Baker Adaptive Optics, Aka optics SAS, Electro Optic Systems Pty Ltd, ALPAO, Benchmark Electronics Inc., ACTIVE OPTICAL SYSTEMS, LLC |
Analyst Review
This section provides the opinions of various top-level CXOs in the global adaptive optics market. Hence, based on the interviews of various top-level CXOs of leading companies, continuous focus on utilizing adaptive optics for long-range target identification in military applications and the rising interest in using adaptive optics technology for data storage further fuel the growth of the global adaptive optics market. For instance, in October 2021, Northrop Grumman collaborated with NASA, a leader in the aeronautics and aerospace sector, to integrate its adaptive optics system to increase data transfer rates and reduce atmospheric disturbances such as clouds and turbulence for its laser communications systems. This further enhanced the laser communications technology NASA. The growing prevalence of retinal degeneration diseases is expected to propel the growth of the adaptive optics market. Although Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) are the most common retinal degenerative diseases globally.
According to Nano Retina, a specialized company in nanotechnology devices, the number of people with AMD is estimated to increase to 196.0 million by the end of 2020 and 288.0 million by 2040. Therefore, various companies such as Iris AO Inc. offer adaptive optics systems designed explicitly for ophthalmology and retinal imaging. For instance, the National Institutes of Health and the Air Force use Iris adaptive optics deformable mirrors for retinal imaging. This development of deformable mirrors is expected to reduce the size, cost, and complexity of Adaptive Optics Optical coherence tomography (AO-OCT) devices, thereby making adaptive optics widely accepted for various clinical applications. Therefore, the development of advanced adaptive optics devices and the growing efforts of vision scientists, ophthalmologists, and entrepreneurs in its development and research, is expected to drive the market.
The market growth is supplemented by factors such as adoption in the field of astronomy, growing prevalence of retinal degeneration diseases, and rise in demand for high-resolution microscopy in various biomedical research operations supplement the growth of the adaptive optics market. However, the high initial cost of adaptive systems and complex design & optimization of space optical solutions are the factors expected to hamper the growth of the adaptive optics market. In addition, increasing demand for photonics enabled products to enhance system efficiency to aid growth and rising R&D investments in advanced optics technology creates market opportunities for the key players operating in the adaptive optics market.
Among the analyzed regions, North America is the highest revenue contributor, followed by Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. On the basis of forecast analysis, Asia-Pacific is expected to lead during the forecast period, due to increased research and development efforts in the region, as well as the rise of ophthalmology and retinal imaging.
Increased application of wavefront sensor and wavefront modulator are the upcoming trends of Adaptive Optics Market in the world.
Increased application in Military & Defense is the leading application of Adaptive Optics Market
North America is the largest regional market for Adaptive Optics
The global adaptive optics market was valued at $494.5 million in 2021, and is projected to reach $4,879.5 million by 2031, registering a CAGR of 25.6%.
The leading players operating in the adaptive optics market are Active Optical Systems LLC, Adaptica, Aka Optics SAS, ALPAO, Baker Adaptive Optics, Benchmark Electronics, Inc., Boston Micromachines Corporation, Edmund Optics Inc., Electro Optic Systems Pty Ltd., Flexible Optical B.V., Imagine Optic, Iris AO, Inc., Northrop Grumman Corporation, Phasics, Synopsys, Inc., Teledyne e2v, and Thorlabs, Inc.
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