METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE CORRECTION OF OPTICAL SIGNAL WAVE FRONT DISTORTION USING ADAPTIVE OPTICS

摘要

An adaptive optics system is disclosed whereby at least one mirror in t he system is manipulated using electrostatic force to selectively attract or repel a portion of the mirror to or from a particular electrode, respectively. This attraction or repulsion is accomplished by mechanically coupling a bound charge layer o f dielectric material to at least one surface of the mirror and then placing a voltage across an electrode in an array of electrodes positioned near that mirror. T he charge in the dielectric material combined with a suitable electric field makes it possible to attract portions of the mirror in one instant and then, by changing the sign on the voltage placed across the electrode, to repel those same portion s in the next instant.