Ultra-high strain, single crystals and a Monolithic Mirror-Flexure Mechanism for Fast Steering Mirrors

The goal of this collaborative effort between InsituTec Inc. (NC), TRS Technologies Inc. (Pa) and Center for Precision Metrology at University of North Carolina at Charlotte, NC is to demonstrate the closed loop control of a high-speed, long-range rotational stage. This proposal addresses design, manufacture and testing of a high-bandwidth steering-mirror employing a monolithic mirror-flexure structure and ultra-high strain actuators (PMN-PT single crystals) providing a single degree of freedom rotational translator with a maximum angle exceeding 8 mRads with a resolution of better than 1 µRad, rapid settling times, power consumption of less than 1 kW, 50 ksps sampling rates, mechanical bandwidth exceeding 1 kHz. To reduce overall power consumption, a novel dual bandwidth actuator and driver will be developed for small amplitude, high bandwidth fine positioning with a lower slew rate coarse control. The total size of the mirrors will be up to 300 mm in diameter. In service, the device will also need to be robust to withstand airborne conditions due to external disturbances such as high temperatures, vibration and inertial forces. The FSM's mechanical system will require reliability, low power consumption, light-weight, thermal and temporal stability, and low mechanical noise. A full assessment of these attributes plus issues associated with manufacture, supply chain and commercialization will be further developed in a phase II effort.