Ultrathin monolithic bimorph mirror using polarization-inverted lithium niobate wafer

Area of Science:

• Optics
• Materials Science
• X-ray Technology

Background:

• Deformable mirrors (DMs) are crucial in various optical systems, including recent X-ray applications.
• Piezoelectric bimorph mirrors are commonly used but have limitations in deformation range.
• Existing designs often involve bonding multiple materials, complicating fabrication and limiting performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel monolithic bimorph mirror design for X-ray optics.
• To leverage the polarization inversion properties of lithium niobate for enhanced mirror performance.
• To overcome the limited deformation capabilities of conventional bimorph mirrors.

Main Methods:

• Proposed a monolithic bimorph mirror design using lithium niobate.
• Utilized the material's polarization inversion properties to enable a thinner mirror structure.
• Experimentally fabricated and tested the mirror's deformation capabilities and precision.

Main Results:

• Achieved a substantial curvature change of 0.1 m⁻¹.
• Demonstrated precise deformation to a target elliptical shape with 1 μm peak-to-valley height and 3 nm precision.
• Enabled significant X-ray beam size variation from 200 nm to 683 μm.

Conclusions:

• The novel monolithic bimorph mirror offers enhanced deformation capabilities compared to conventional designs.
• The mirror's high precision and large deformation range are suitable for advanced X-ray focusing optics.
• This technology holds significant potential for advancing X-ray analytical and imaging applications.