Improved Yield, Performance and Reliability of High-Actuator-Count Deformable Mirrors

Reliable, high precision deformable mirrors with high yield and precision and associated drive electronics has a few astronomical NASA commercial applications. The following applications apply to all Boston Micromachines Corp. (BMC) mirrors that benefit from new manufacturing processes developed which increase reliability. Astronomy: Post applications in this sub-category can be broken into two categories: space telescopes and ground-based telescopes. In the case of space telescopes, there are a number of mission/mission concepts that require the wavefront control provided by the proposed enhanced reliability deformable mirrors. These include the Alpha Centauri Exoplanet Satellite (ACESat), Extrasolar Planet Imaging Coronograph (EPIC), Exoplanetary Circumstellar Environments and Disk Explorer (EXCEDE) and the Centaur pathfinder mission. For ground-based telescopes, BMC has already had success developing arrays up to 4096 elements for the Gemini Planet Imager and multiple high-yield smaller devices to high contrast imaging testbeds at the Space Telescope Science Institute and the University of Nice. BMC can achieve similar results for larger arrays requiring high-density electronic equipment for other new and existing installations such as the planned Extremely Large Telescopes (Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) and the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT)).

High precision deformable mirrors and associated drive electronics have multiple commercial applications. The following applications apply to products produced by Boston Micromachines that will benefit from increased yield and reliability and improved performance.Space surveillance: BMC has success developing arrays up to 4096 elements for astronomy which can be used for space-based systems. These programs are funded by Department of Defense administrations with classified agendas.Optical communication:Lasercomm systems would benefit from this new architecture for long-range secure communication. Also, fiber optic communications can take advantage of our devices in an optical switching capacity.Microscopy: The capabilities of many non-adaptive optics-enabled microscopy modalities devices have reached their limits. By increasing reliability and yield, the component cost for deformable mirrors will enable users to purchase high-resolution equipment for use in detecting disease. Modalities affected include two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF), second- and/or third-harmonic generation (SHG/THG), and coherent anti-stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) and super-resolution localization microscopy techniques.Pulse-Shaping: Laser science strives to create a better shaped pulse for applications such as laser marking and machining, and material ablation and characterization. The use of a high-actuator count array for these purposes will enable new science and more refined techniques. More »