Proposed adaptive optics control loop for a continuous face sheet, MEMS-based deformable membrane mirror

Abstract

Small MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) deformable mirror (DM) technology is of great interest to the adaptive optics (AO) community. These new, MEMS-DM's are being considered for many conventional AO applications since they posses some advantages over conventional DM's. The MEMS-DM technology is driven by the expectation of achieving improved performance with lower costs, low electrical power, high number of actuators, high production rates, and large reductions in structural mass and volume. In addition to the imaging community, the directed energy community is also interested in taking advantages of some of the characteristics which MEMS-DM's offer. The Air Force Research Laboratory has undertaken the challenge of developing and analyzing several continuous face-sheet MEMS-DM's designs. This paper proposes a simple controls loop computer model for a typical continuous reflective face-sheet MEMS-DM. There are a variety of MEMS-DM's which are being developed for the Air Force Research Laboratory. Data from a typical continuous reflective face-sheet MEMS-DM has been acquired and analyzed. From this data a model for a typical MEMS-DM device could be developed and verified. This MEMS-DM's data can be compared to previous design models which were developed in previous articles. In addition a feedback, closed adaptive optics loop can be designed and analyzed. The research goal is to get a realistic idea of the behavior and performance of these new, innovative devices.