Magnetically deformable mirrors for competitive manufacturing and biomedical imaging

本提案的主要目的是将我们首创的一种新型自适应光学（AO）反射镜推向实用性。这个强大的多学科团队将开发一种新的器件，用于光学器件制造中AO的新应用。第二面镜子将被建造和测试，以证明它在生物医学成像应用中比目前的AO设备有显著的优势。基本镜面由一层薄薄的银纳米粒子反射层组成，该反射层铺在可磁化变形的液体（铁磁流体）上。磁场的应用改变了流体表面的形状，因此可以创建任意轮廓，并通过改变磁场动态变化。因此，铁磁流体变形镜（FDM）是一种非常通用的自适应光学元件。与竞争技术相比，本提案中描述的fdm具有显著的优势：可以产生从几十纳米到几十微米（离焦或彗差等大规模像差为几毫米）不等的变形幅度，制造成本大大降低，可以生产具有大量执行器的镜子，并且镜子具有良好的时间响应。对于光学测试和生物医学应用，我们将优化反射镜控制，反射镜速度，我们将改变设计，以增加单元运输的稳健性和稳定性。最近主要的硬件设计改进，应用磁偏置给出线性响应，使镜像控制更简单，降低了所需的电流。它还允许执行器的小型化，为生物医学镜子提供必要的小尺寸和大量的执行器和精细控制，这是光学测试应用所必需的。镜子将在现实世界的应用中进行测试和优化：测试复杂的光学和眼睛的高分辨率成像。该项目将与工业伙伴密切合作进行，工业伙伴将协助镜子的开发和评价以及学生培训。

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.