Structure and closed-loop control of a novel compact deformable mirror for wavefront correction in a high power laser system

A deformable mirror using a new preload structure is presented and characterized in a high power laser system. The structure is analyzed by the finite-element method and the character parameters of the deformable mirror are selected based on simulated results. The device reveals a high fidelity in static flatness aberration experiments. The closed-loop control method is introduced and analyzed. The results from closed-loop control, including a residual aberration P–V value of only 0.040 μm and an RMS value of 0.010 μm, show practically perfect aberration correction. The experiment results prove the fidelity of the deformable mirror with the preload structure and the validity and accuracy of closed-loop control. (letter)