Magnetically deformable mirrors for competitive manufacturing and biomedical imaging

该方案的主要目的是将我们开创的新型自适应光学（AO）镜推向实用。强大的多学科团队将开发一种新设备，用于AO在光学设备制造中的新应用。第二个镜子将建立和测试，以证明其在生物医学成像应用中的显着优势，目前AO设备。基本反射镜由一层薄的银纳米颗粒反射层组成，该反射层分布在磁性可变形液体（铁磁流体）上。磁场的应用改变了流体表面的形状，因此可以通过改变磁场来创建和动态改变任何任意轮廓。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。本提案中描述的FDM提供了优于竞争技术的显著优势：可以产生从几十纳米到几十微米（对于像散焦或彗差的大尺度像差为几毫米）变化的变形幅度，制造成本显著降低，可以生产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，我们将优化反射镜控制，反射镜速度，我们将改变设计，以提高设备运输的鲁棒性和稳定性。最近的一个主要硬件设计改进，应用磁偏置给出了线性响应，使镜控制更简单，并降低了所需的电流。它还允许执行器的小型化，提供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。该镜子将在真实的世界应用中进行测试和优化：复杂光学器件的测试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，工业伙伴将协助镜像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.