Photo-Magnetically Actuated Deformable Mirror

This technology is a flexible deformable mirror and wireless actuator using a combination of light and magnetic components, to enable large and small scale deformations.

Background:
Deformable mirrors (DMs) are special mirrors designed to be deformed to provide optical aberration correction in high performance optical systems. These mirrors are particularly useful in astronomy and retinal imaging where image quality needs to be maximized at high magnifications, as well as in control and shaping of laser beams.

Traditional DMs use an array of actuators behind the mirror which deform the mirror when electricity is applied to the actuators. This approach requires many, often high-voltage, electrical connections. This technology, on the other hand, deforms the mirror wirelessly, simplifying the design while simultaneously allowing large amounts of deformation and precise control.

Applications:

• Adaptive optics
• Telescopes, especially space telescopes
• Retinal imaging
• Laser beam focusing and correction

Advantages:

• Simple; requires fewer components than other deformable mirrors
• Provides both large-scale, course correction and small-scale, precise correction in one package
• Works well in a vacuum
• Reliable