There are many applications relative to NASA where there is a need for deformable mirrors with improved surface finish and quality over the current state-of-the-art. NASA needs include any ground or space based telescope or imaging system including TPF-C, TPF-I, EPIC and PECO. With the topography improvements proposed in this project, less light will be lost in the optical path, improving the effectiveness of all applications taking advantage of deformable mirrors.
There are applications relative to the requirements of government agencies and commercial markets which are in need of deformable mirrors with improved surface finish and quality over the current state-of-the-art. With these improvements, less light will be lost in the optical path, which will improve the effectiveness of all applications taking advantage of deformable mirrors. In addition, the following are specific targeted applications and how they are best suited for this development: 1)Astronomy/Surveillance: As telescopes and satellites search for more detail by collecting more light, the correction of atmospheric turbulence across the entire aperture remains important. 2)Optical communication: For long-range secure communication, large amounts of data can be sent over long distances using lasercomm systems. By improving surface finish, the amount of data transferred is increased due to enhanced error correction capabilities through the collection of more light. 3)Pulse-shaping: Pulsed lasers are used in a variety of applications from material characterization to laser marking and machining. The use of deformable mirrors allows scientists to better understand the composition of materials and allow manufacturers to make more precise, complex patterns. 4)Biological imaging: By improving the surface finish and quality, less light is scattered during transmission from the specimen to the collection device during imaging allowing for better resolution images.
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