Fast adaptive optics technology for advanced laser applications

适用于先进激光应用的快速自适应光学技术

• 批准号: ST/H000135/1
• 负责人: David Hutson
• 金额: $ 21.1万
• 依托单位: University of the West of Scotland
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2010 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ST%2FH000135%2F1
• 关键词: Fast; adaptive; optics; technology; advanced

The UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UKATC) and the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) have developed a novel adaptive optic technology. The aim of the STFC funded research on which this PIPSS proposal is based is to provide technology which will be used in the mirror systems of the European Extremely Large Telescope. Our technology concerns the deformable mirrors which are used to correct distortions in the light coming into the telescope from space, which in a ground-based telescope is usually caused by the light travelling through the earth's atmosphere. The deformable mirrors can be bent into shape to correct for the atmospheric distortion in the light waves. The bending forces are supplied by actuators, such as the piezoelectric stack actuators discussed in this proposal. The new technology we have developed enables us to have accurate knowledge of the extension of each actuator from a sensor embedded in the actuator itself. It can remove uncertainties caused by hysteresis in the individual actuators, which means that the control voltage cannot move the actuators correctly to the desired position. The sensing technique will be combined with a manufacturing process which enables dense arrays of miniature actuators to produced cost-effectively. The project partners have protected the intellectual property in this technology with a joint patent. Discussions with industry indicated that this technology is likely to have applications outside astronomy in advanced laser systems which also have deformable mirrors built in, for example for shaping a laser beam or removing distortion. Incorporating the technology into these systems will improve the speed and accuracy with which the laser beam can be corrected. During this project we will develop the technology for these laser applications, in close collaboration with the industrial partner.

英国天文技术中心（UKATC）和西苏格兰大学（UWS）开发了一种新的自适应光学技术。该PIPSS提案所依据的STFC资助研究的目的是提供将用于欧洲极大望远镜反射镜系统的技术。我们的技术涉及可变形反射镜，用于校正从太空进入望远镜的光的扭曲，在地面望远镜中，这种扭曲通常是由穿过地球大气层的光引起的。可变形反射镜可以弯曲成形，以校正光波中的大气失真。弯曲力由致动器提供，例如本提案中讨论的压电叠层致动器。我们开发的新技术使我们能够从嵌入致动器本身的传感器准确了解每个致动器的延伸。它可以消除由单个致动器中的滞后引起的不确定性，这意味着控制电压不能将致动器正确地移动到期望位置。传感技术将与制造过程相结合，使密集阵列的微型致动器，以生产成本效益。项目合作伙伴通过联合专利保护了这项技术的知识产权。与工业界的讨论表明，这项技术很可能在天文学以外的先进激光系统中得到应用，这些系统也内置有可变形的反射镜，例如用于使激光束成形或消除失真。将该技术应用于这些系统将提高激光束校正的速度和精度。在该项目中，我们将与工业合作伙伴密切合作，开发这些激光应用的技术。