Wide Field-of-View Imaging Sensor System for SSA

Iris AO will extend previous development research in the area of piezoelectrically actuated membrane deformable mirrors (DM).  These extensions are to achieve extreme degrees of curvature required in an optical zoom system based on DMs.  These MEMS devices are very small, low weight, and consume very little power.  The properties make the ideal for deployment in satellites for space situational awareness.  Goals of the Phase I work are to (a) characterize existing prototype devices and extend the design for extreme curvatures and a larger (8mm) optical aperture, (b) fabricate prototype devices, and (c) characterize the fabricated prototypes and use results for design process improvement.  This Phase I work is confined to the 8mm devices for compatibility with existing packaging and test equipment.  Fabrication of devices with the ultimately required 20mm aperture will be addressed in Phase II research. BENEFIT: A deformable mirror capable of achieving very high curvature will be developed based on MEMS processing.  This enables construction of an optical zoom characterized by very light weight and low power consumption. Beyond the base function as an optical zoom, the deformable mirror capable of adaptive optical correction of low order aberrations. Commercial applications include laser communications, laser processing of materials, and biological imaging.