Related papers: Performance of Large-Format Deformable Mirrors Con…
Deformable Mirrors (DMs) have wide applications ranging from astronomical imaging to laser communications and vision science. However, they often require bulky multi-channel cables for delivering high power to their drive actuators. A low…
Multi-object adaptive optics (MOAO) has been demonstrated by the CANARY instrument on the William Herschel Telescope. However, for proposed MOAO systems on the next generation Extremely Large Telescopes, such as EAGLE, many challenges…
Adaptive optics (AO) offers an opportunity to stabilize an image and maximize the spatial resolution achievable by ground based telescopes by removing the distortions due to the atmosphere. Typically, the deformable mirror in an AO system…
We present a new type of tunable mirror with sharply-featured freeform displacement profiles, large displacements of several 100\mu m and high operating frequencies close to the kHz range at 15mm diameter. The actuation principle is based…
For sufficiently wide ranges of applied control signals (control voltages), MEMS and piezoelectric Deformable Mirrors (DMs), exhibit nonlinear behavior. The nonlinear behavior manifests itself in nonlinear actuator couplings, nonlinear…
We present modeling and analysis of a hysteretic deformable mirror where the facesheet interacts with a continuous layer of piezoelectric material that can be actuated distributively by a matrix of electrodes through multiplexing. Moreover,…
High-Performance Adaptive Optics systems are rapidly spreading as useful applications in the fields of astronomy, ophthalmology, and telecommunications. This technology is critical to enable coronagraphic direct imaging of exoplanets…
Variable curvature mirrors of large amplitude are designed by using finite element analysis. The specific case studied reaches at least a 800 {\mu}m sag with an optical quality better than {\lambda}/5 over a 120 mm clear aperture. We…
Here are presented the experimental results obtained with a ferrofluidic deformable mirror controlled by electro-magnet actuators. Using a step input through a single actuator we obtain a steady-state settling time of 100ms; however,…
Global MCAO aims to exploit a very wide technical field of view to find AO-suitable NGSs, with the goal to increase the overall sky coverage. The concept foresees the use of numerical entities, called Virtual Deformable Mirrors, to deal…
Reluctance actuators are preferred for high-precision applications. Due to resistive losses in the coils, the accuracy of this type of actuator will reduce in quasi-static operation mode within a vacuum environment. By using soft permanent…
The rheological characterisation of complex fluids is mostly performed under simple shear flow in rotational rheometers. Their modern commercial versions are extremely sensitive instruments which are able to provide very accurate…
We present a simple technique to produce active Q-switching in various types of fiber amplifiers by active integration of an electrostatic actuated deformable metallic micro-mirror. The optical MEMS (MOEMS) device acts as one of the laser…
We present the research status of a deformable mirror made of a magnetic liquid whose surface is actuated by a triangular array of small current carrying coils. We demonstrate that the mirror can correct a 11 microns low order aberrated…
The Thirty Meter Telescope will use a sophisticated adaptive optics system called NFIRAOS. This system utilizes two deformable mirrors conjugate to 0 km and 11.2 km to apply a Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics (MCAO) correction over a 2…
The latest high-performance telescopes for deep space observation employ very large primary mirrors that are made of smaller segments, like the JWST which employs monolithic beryllium hexagonal segments. A very promising development stage…
The MagAO-X instrument is an upgrade of the Magellan AO system that will introduce extreme adaptive optics capabilities for high-contrast imaging at visible and near-infrared wavelengths. A central component of this system is a…
Optics for future X-ray telescopes will be characterized by very large aperture and focal length, and will be made of lightweight materials like glass or silicon in order to keep the total mass within acceptable limits. Optical modules…
This article reports on the results of simulations conducted to assess the performance of a modal Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics (MCAO) system on a 10m telescope with one Deformable Mirror (DM) conjugated to the telescope pupil and a…
Variable Stiffness Actuators prove invaluable for robotics applications in unstructured environments, fostering safe interactions and enhancing task adaptability. Nevertheless, their mechanical design inevitably results in larger and…