Abstract

A charged-large-array-flexible (CLAFLEX) mirror is a new concept for the deformable mirror. This mirror consists of a continuous piezoelectric transducer sheet whose thickness is controlled by one or more electron beams. A CLAFLEX mirror can be controlled using image-intensifier or video devices and digital image-processing techniques. A 100 × 100 array of deformable mirror elements can be controlled with state-of-the-art components, making short-wavelength high-power laser-beam steering, focusing, and phase conjugation practical. Two different CLAFLEX mirror control schemes are described. One uses a scanning electron beam; the other uses multiple parallel electron beams. Both designs use phase-lock control circuits that are synchronized by first phase locking a small central region of the mirror and then expanding this region (using an iris diaphragm) until the entire CLAFLEX mirror is phase-locked on the same wave front. A CLAFLEX mirror can be steered and focused optically by biasing the interference intensity distribution using an external light source. A wedge-shaped intensity bias, for example, will tilt the CLAFLEX mirror.

© 1985 Optical Society of America

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