Switching Electronics for Space-based Telescopes with Advanced AO Systems

One preferred approach to directly image an exoplanet is to build a space-based telescope instrumented with advanced internal coronagraphs, where deformable mirrors (DMs) with high actuator counts are essential for achieving very high contrast detection. When actuator quantities are in thousands, the electrical driver poses a fascinating challenge for space-based applications, where power and mass are limited, and reliability is extremely important for the mission life-time in space. What proposed is a 64x64 channels of monolithic multiplexed driver, which can deliver voltages up to 300 V to all the actuators at different time slots. Thus the required operation power is greatly reduced. By vertically integrating the application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) driver with a DM, the potential wiring failure will be eliminated. Furthermore, radiation resistance will be emphasized during ASIC design.

The proposed ASIC driver is specifically designed to drive the stacked DMs that NASA has been qualified in ground. It will provide a reliable, low power, monolithic DM driver that can be used by an exoplanet-imaging coronagraph. Thus it will be found valuable in applications on those missions, such as WFIRST and ATLAST, where coronagraphic instruments are required.

The first beneficiaries of the ASIC driver are the DM manufacturers. With a vertically integrated ASIC driver, the fabrication of a DM will be dramatically simplified since thousands of wiring will no longer be required. Thus, the yield and reliability will be greatly improved. Furthermore, with a simplified architecture, DMs with tens of thousands of actuators will become possible at affordable prices, which could attract more AO applications such as retinal imaging, fidelity microscopy imaging and laser drilling.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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