Electron multiplying CCDs for sensitive wavefront sensing at 3k frames per second

The science goals of current and upcoming large telescopes require the highest level of adaptive optics (AO) performance. To address these requirements, an electron-multiplying CCD (EMCCD), the HNu240, has been developed based on the Teledyne-e2v CCD220 240x240 pixel detector with Nuvu Cameras' re-designed EMCCD electronics. The HNu240 delivers a full-detector frame rate of up to 3015 frames per second with 35.5 mu s first-pixel latency, sub-electron noise and flexible readout sequences that can be tailored to different wavefront sensor designs. The sealed-body design and fully airless cooling prevent unwanted airflow while eliminating thermal gradients on the camera body. Details of the HNu240's design, performance results and applications to AO systems in exoplanet detection, quantum key distribution and space situational awareness will be discussed.