Development of a Miniaturized Deformable Mirror Controller

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 utilized in ground-based telescopes and future space missions such...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:arXiv.org 2017-03
Main Authors: Bendek, Eduardo, Lynch, Dana, Pluzhnik, Eugene, Belikov, Ruslan, Klamm, Benjamin, Hyde, Elizabeth, Mumm, Katherine
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Active mirrors
Actuators
Adaptive optics
Adaptive systems
Astronomy
Controllers
Deformation
Extrasolar planets
Formability
Guidance systems
Line of sight communication
Ophthalmology
Optical communication
Power consumption
Space missions
Telescopes
Weight reduction
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Summary: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 utilized in ground-based telescopes and future space missions such as WFIRST, EXO-C, HabEx, and LUVOIR. We have developed a miniaturized Deformable Mirror controller to enable active optics on small space imaging mission. The system is based on the Boston Micromachines Corporation Kilo-DM, which is one of the most widespread DMs on the market. The system has three main components: The Deformable Mirror, the Driving Electronics, and the Mechanical and Heat management. The system is designed to be extremely compact and have low- power consumption to enable its use not only on exoplanet missions, but also in a wide-range of applications that require precision optical systems, such as direct line-of-sight laser communications, and guidance systems. The controller is capable of handling 1,024 actuators with 220V maximum dynamic range, 16bit resolution, and 14bit accuracy, and operating at up to 1kHz frequency. The system fits in a 10x10x5cm volume, weighs less than 0.5kg, and consumes less than 8W. We have developed a turnkey solution reducing the risk for currently planned as well as future missions, lowering their cost by significantly reducing volume, weight and power consumption of the wavefront control hardware.
ISSN:2331-8422
DOI:10.48550/arxiv.1703.07450