SBIR Phase I: Optically-Controlled Membrane-Mirror Wavefront Corrector

9861549这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将探索一种新型、低成本、光控、自适应光学波前校正器的可行性。所选择的波前校正器结构与哈特曼-夏克波前传感器兼容。这样的相位估计器在每个子孔径中产生聚焦的光信号，其位置取决于波前的斜率。光寻址膜镜光调制器(O-MLM)设计使用了一种特殊的结构，仅提供活塞操作。所提出的概念提供了极高致动器密度的可能性，并且其复杂性不随子孔径的增加而增加。根据第一阶段计划，将进行器件和系统建模研究，完成器件和原型器件的制造，并进行器件表征和分析，以确定这种新型波前校正器的可行性。原型调制器将进行光学灵敏度、相位调制深度和速度测试。第二阶段计划将在实验室控制的环境中演示一种全光学、高分辨率的波前校正系统。二期系统的设计将考虑到天文应用和商业成像系统。在第三阶段，将根据第二阶段的结果为专业和业余天文学家的望远镜建造自适应光学系统原型。预计膜镜波前校正器将提供数十微秒的响应时间，以及在可见光波长下至少8弧度的相位校正。波前校正器系统将作为一种负担得起的实时非传统自适应光学附件在业余和专业天文学中得到应用。它还将在工业检测和机器视觉以及医学成像领域找到市场。O-MLM器件在投影显示器和光学信号处理市场中的应用。

9861549 This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will explore the feasibility of a novel, low-cost, optically-controlled, adaptive-optics wavefront corrector. The chosen structure of the wavefront corrector is compatible with a Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor. Such a phase estimator produces a focused optical signal in each subaperture whose position is dependent on the slope of the wavefront. The Optically-addressed Membrane-mirror Light Modulator (O-MLM) design uses a special structure that gives piston-only operation. The proposed concept offers the potential for extremely high actuator density, and its complexity does not scale as the number of subapertures increases. Under the Phase I program, device and system modeling studies will be conducted, component and prototype device fabrication will be accomplished, and device characterization and analysis will be carried out to determine feasibility of this novel wavefront corrector. The prototype modulator will be tested for optical sensitivity, phase modulation depth and speed. The Phase II program will demonstrate an all-optical, high-resolution wavefront correction system in a laboratory-controlled environment. The Phase II system will be designed with astronomical applications and commercial imaging systems in mind. In Phase III prototype adaptive optical systems will be built based on the Phase II results for the telescopes of both professional and amateur astronomers. It is expected that the membrane-mirror wavefront corrector will offer tens of microseconds response time, and at least 8 radians of phase correction at visible wavelengths. The wavefront corrector system will find applications in amateur and professional astronomy as an affordable real-time unconventional adaptive optical accessory. It will also find markets in industrial inspection and machine vision, and medical imaging. Applications of the O-MLM device are in projection displays and optical signal processing markets.