Using Goddard’s High-Speed Interferometry to Characterize Deformable Mirror Dynamics and Stability

Completed TRL 4 (started at 3, targeting 4)

Description

We propose to leverage an innovative high-speed interferometry (HSI) system developed at GSFC during the JWST ambient center of curvature tests to perform high-speed characterization of the DM technologies under consideration for LUVOIR and HabEx. We plan to integrate the HSI into the Exoplanet Spectroscopy (ExoSpec) Testbed to interrogate the dynamics of a Kilo DM from Boston Micromachines Corp. in situ. Specific project objectives to be completed within one year include the characterization of instabilities due to noise in drive electronics, a demonstration of the capability to make drift measurements over longer timescales, and the characterization of a 3-DOF picometer-capable actuator. Recent work has shown "ringing" of the DM membrane induced by actuator motion, and efforts directed toward the Astro 2020 Decadal have focused on developing DM drive electronics capable of picometer resolution in actuator steps, but less effort has been directed toward measuring the effect of electronics noise on the stability of the DM surface. This proposed work aims to develop a metrology system to address these shortcomings in our knowledge of DM dynamics. Future development on this project should extend the DM characterization effort to a more flight-like environment to understand the dynamics under vacuum with precise thermal control and mechanical isolation. This metrology tool should inform DM architecture choices and aid in the development of low-noise control electronics, wavefront control laws, open-loop drift compensation schemes, and high-fidelity mechanical DM models.

Benefits

The detection and characterization of habitable worlds around other stars is one of the key science goals for the Astro 2020 Decadal large mission concepts like LUVOIR and HabEx and is aligned with NASA's strategic objective to search for life elsewhere. Achieving and maintaining the necessary contrast requires deformable mirrors (DMs) that are stable to the picometer level and has been identified by the Exoplanet Exploration Program as a key technology gap (CG-3). The thin facesheet of the DM is sensitive to both dynamic disturbances and thermal variations that can degrade performance, and current efforts in deformable mirror characterization have largely overlooked these dynamic behaviors.

Details

Technology area	Sensors and Instruments > Observatories > Mirror Systems
Program	Center Innovation Fund: GSFC CIF (GSFC CIF)
Lead organization	Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
Start date	2020-10-01
End date	2021-09-30

Project contacts

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Kyle J Van Gorkom — kyle.vangorkom@nasa.gov

How to get involved

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