Magnetically deformable mirrors for competitive manufacturing and biomedical imaging

该方案的主要目的是将我们首创的一种新型自适应光学(AO)镜实用化。这个强大的多学科团队将开发一种新设备，在光学设备制造中应用新型声光技术。第二面镜子将被建造和测试，以展示其在生物医学成像应用中的显著优势，而不是目前的AO设备。基本镜由覆盖在磁性可变形液体(磁流体)上的银纳米颗粒组成的一层薄反射层组成。施加磁场可以改变流体表面的形状，从而可以创建任意轮廓，并通过改变磁场来动态改变。因此，铁流体变形镜是一种用途非常广泛的自适应光学元件。与竞争技术相比，本提案中描述的FDMS提供了显著的优势：可以产生从几十纳米到几十微米(散焦或彗差等大规模像差为几毫米)的变形幅度，制造成本大大降低，可以制造具有大量致动器的反射镜，并且反射镜具有良好的时间响应。对于光学测试和生物医学应用，我们将优化镜面控制、镜面速度，并将更改设计，以提高单元的坚固性和运输稳定性。最近的一项重大硬件设计改进应用了偏磁，提供了线性响应，使反射镜控制变得更简单，并降低了所需的电流。它还允许执行器的小型化，使生物医学镜所需的小尺寸和光学测试应用所需的大量执行器和精细控制。这种镜子将在现实世界的应用中进行测试和优化：复杂光学的测试和眼睛的高分辨率成像。该项目将与行业合作伙伴密切合作，这些合作伙伴将协助镜面开发和评估以及学生培训。

The primary objective of this proposal is to bring a new type adaptive optics (AO) mirror, pioneered by us, to practicality. The strong, multidisciplinary team will develop a new device in a novel application of AO in the manufacture of optical devices. A second mirror will be built and tested to demonstrate its significant advantages in biomedical imaging applications over current AO devices. The basic mirror consists of a thin reflective layer of silver nanoparticles spread on a magnetically deformable liquid (ferrofluid). The application of a magnetic field alters the shape of the fluid surface so that any arbitrary contour can be created and dynamically varied by changing the field. The ferrofluidic deformable mirror (FDM) is thus a very versatile adaptive optical element. The FDMs described in this proposal offer significant advantages over competing technologies: amplitudes of deformation varying from a few tens of nanometers to several tens of microns (several millimeters for large scale aberrations like defocus or coma) can be generated, fabrication costs are substantially lower, mirrors with large numbers of actuators can be produced and the mirror has a good temporal response. For the optical testing and biomedical applications, we will optimise mirror control, mirror speed and we will change the design to increase the robustness and stability to transport of the unit. A recent major hardware design improvement that applies a magnetic bias gives a linear response makes mirror control simpler and lowers the required currents. It also allows miniaturisation of actuators, giving the small size necessary to the biomedical mirror and the large number of actuators and fine control, necessary to the optical testing application. The mirror will be tested and optimised in real world applications: the testing of complex optics and the high resolution imaging of eyes. This project will be undertaken in close collaboration with industry partners who will assist in mirror development and evaluation and in student training.