High dynamic range thermally actuated bimorph mirror for gravitational wave detectors

Adaptive optics are crucial for overcoming the fabrication limits on mirror curvature in high-precision interferometry. We describe a low-cost thermally actuated bimorph mirror with 200 mD linear response, which meets dynamic range and low aberration requirements for the ${\rm{A}} + $A+ upgrade of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO). Its deformation and operation limits were measured and verified against finite element simulation.