Reflective Spatial Light Modulator For High-Dynamic-Range Wavefront Control

The goal of this project is to deliver prototype wavefront control devices to the Air Force for use in aberration correction and general wavefront shaping. The proposed Phase II work follows successful Phase I demonstration of a technology for producing micromachined aluminum spatial light modulators integrated directly on CMOS driver electronics. Devices produced in Phase II will allow modulo-lambda control of wavefront shape, with 40,000 independent, electrostatically-actuated segments in a square array. Also, a larger array device featuring one million segments will be fabricated in a full-wafer MEMS process. The devices produced in this research are expected to achieve high optical efficiency and high-dynamic-range (100 optical wavelengths). In addition, manufacturing reliability research and packaging research will be conducted to allow pursuit of commercial applications of the R&D at the end of the Phase II project. The plan involves a collaboration between Boston Micromachines Corporation and Boston University, and builds on a decade of experience in production of advanced micromirror arrays for adaptive optics.