Fabrication of a deformable mirror for pulse shaping

Abstract

In this work we report on a fabrication method for producing large-area multilayer polymer membranes and describe its application to the instrumentation of a deformable mirror. This implementation allows for highly flexible mirrors in which mechanical properties vary in a controlled manner in order to better match optical requirements. In addition, the mechanical properties of such membranes allow for a large number of closely spaced actuators. We report on the mechanical properties of metal-polymer membranes and discuss their application to pulse shaping experiments.