New high-density deformable mirrors for high-contrast imaging

Abstract

This paper presents a new architecture for deformable mirrors, suitable for adaptive optics (AO) observations. The performance of these systems directly depends on the density of actuators, which correct for wavefront errors. Therefore, deformable mirrors of large sizes are difficult to build because of the required number of actuators. Moreover, these actuators use either piezoelectric, magnetic, or electrostatic systems, which all suffer from nonlinear behavior (hysteresis). To solve these problems, we propose to use addressable vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSELs) systems, which move, through radiation pressure, a CVD-diamond membrane coated with an aluminum/gold thin film. The advantage of such a system is the high actuator density (16 384 on 41 mm2) without hysteresis problems. This technology is therefore well-suited for the next generation of AO systems. © 2012 ESO.