It is with immense sadness that we learned of the passing of our colleague and friend Jean-Marc Conan on March 26th 2026.

Jean-Marc was an founding member of the COAT workshop from the very first edition at ONERA in 2019 on, and was deeply involved in preparing this event in all the following editions, a project that was very close to his heart.

Jean-Marc worked in ONERA’s high angular resolution team from the PhD he defended in 1994, and then never left. He pioneered foundational work on atmospheric turbulence and adaptive optics, which remain landmark references today—particularly in astronomy and ground-to-satellite laser communications. A true visionary, he pushed adaptive optics toward new horizons, including predictive approaches for laser communications and quantum optics. Driven by insatiable curiosity, he spent recent years exploring the subtleties of the reciprocity principle, finding a unique framework to model and explain bidirectional Earth-space links with elegance and clarity. With nearly 7,000 citations, Jean-Marc’s career reflects his major impact on the field.

A great educator and mentor, Jean-Marc guided nearly thirty PhD students and inspired countless colleagues through insightful, passionate discussions at the whiteboard. He also introduced generations of optical engineers to the beauty of adaptive optics through his lectures at the Institut d'Optique Graduate School, where he taught since the late 1990s.

Beyond his scientific brilliance, those who knew him will remember a person of great emotional intelligence—welcoming, humble, and deeply human. He loved meeting new people and discussing the world over a cup of tea, a few cantucci, and a square of chocolate.

We dedicate this workshop to his memory. In his honor, a special lecture on a topic close to his heart will be held during the event.