Evaluation of a MEMS deformable mirror for an adaptive optics test bench

An adaptive optics (AO) test bed has been designed and implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of the next generation of AO components and their associated control system. The optical design presented herein incorporates a turbulence generator, tip-tilt mirror, 140-actuator micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) deformable mirror, Shack-Hartmann wave front sensor, and a science camera. This system has been operated in a closed AO loop at a 261 Hz sample rate. This paper focuses on the performance of the MEMS DM. It was examined using an interferometer to determine the influence functions, response time, and the quadratic relationship of displacement of the actuators to an applied voltage.