TY - JOUR A1 - Kazasidis, Orestis A1 - Verpoort, Sven A1 - Soloviev, Oleg A1 - Vdovin, Gleb A1 - Verhaegen, Michel A1 - Wittrock, Ulrich T1 - Extended-image-based correction of aberrations using a deformable mirror with hysteresis JF - Opt. Expr. N2 - With a view to the next generation of large space telescopes, we investigate guide-star-free, image-based aberration correction using a unimorph deformable mirror in a plane conjugate to the primary mirror. We designed and built a high-resolution imaging testbed to evaluate control algorithms. In this paper we use an algorithm based on the heuristic hill climbing technique and compare the correction in three different domains, namely the voltage domain, the domain of the Zernike modes, and the domain of the singular modes of the deformable mirror. Through our systematic experimental study, we found that successive control in two domains effectively counteracts uncompensated hysteresis of the deformable mirror. KW - active optics, metrics, aberration compensation Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:836-opus-14759 UR - https://www.osapublishing.org/oe/fulltext.cfm?uri=oe-26-21-27161&id=398820 VL - 26 SP - 27161 EP - 27178 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Kazasidis, Orestis A1 - Verpoort, Sven A1 - Wittrock, Ulrich T1 - Algorithm design for image-based wavefront control without wavefront sensing T2 - SPIE Optical Instrument Science, Technology, and Applications, Proc. SPIE N2 - Active optics is an enabling technology for future large space telescopes. Image-based wavefront control uses an image-sharpness metric to evaluate the optical performance. A control algorithm iteratively adapts a corrective element to maximize this metric, without reconstructing the wavefront. We numerically study a sharpness metric in the space of Zernike modes, and reveal that for large aberrations the Zernike modes are not orthogonal with respect to this metric. The findings are experimentally verified by using a unimorph deformable mirror as corrective element. We discuss the implications for the correction process and the design of control algorithms. KW - active optics, adaptive optics, sharpness metrics, aberration compensation, algorithm design Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:836-opus-14760 UR - https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/10695/1069502/Algorithm-design-for-image-based-wavefront-control-without-wavefront-sensing/10.1117/12.2312523.full VL - 10695 SP - 1069502 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Verpoort, Sven A1 - Wittrock, Ulrich T1 - Deformable mirrors for high power lasers T2 - Proceedings of the 8th International Workshop on Adaptive Optics for Industry and Medicine (AOIM) N2 - It has been shown that the beam quality and the efficiency of high-power solid-state lasers could be enhanced by the use of deformable mirrors in order to compensate for optical aberrations. An intracavity compensation requires a deformable mirror which is capable of handling very high laser intensities. The active diameter of the deformable mirror should be a few millimeters in order to match typical fundamental mode laser beam diameters. There is a wide variety of commercially available deformable mirrors, but neither meets all requirements. KW - Deformable mirror, adaptive mirror, unimorph mirror, high-power laser Y1 - 2011 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:836-opus-106953 UR - http://congresos.um.es/aoim/aoim2011/schedConf/presentations ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Kazasidis, Orestis A1 - Verpoort, Sven A1 - Wittrock, Ulrich T1 - Image-based wavefront correction for space telescopes T2 - International Conference on Space Optics - ICSO 2018 N2 - With a view to future large space telescopes, we investigate image-based wavefront correction with active optics. We use an image-sharpness metric as merit function to evaluate the image quality, and the Zernike modes as control variables. In severely aberrated systems, the Zernike modes are not orthogonal to each other with respect to this merit function. Using wavefront maps, the PSF, and the MTF, we discuss the physical causes for the non-orthogonality of the Zernike modes with respect to the merit function. We show that for combinations of Zernike modes with the same azimuthal order, a flatter wavefront in the central region of the aperture is more important than the RMS wavefront error across the full aperture for achieving a better merit function. The non-orthogonality of the Zernike modes with respect to the merit function should be taken into account when designing the algorithm for image-based wavefront correction, because it may slow down the process or lead to premature convergence. KW - active optics, adaptive optics, sharpness metrics, aberration compensation, algorithm design Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:836-opus-109036 UR - https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/11180/111807Z/Image-based-wavefront-correction-for-space-telescopes/10.1117/12.2536206.full?SSO=1 SP - 111807Z PB - Proc. SPIE ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kazasidis, Orestis A1 - Verpoort, Sven A1 - Wittrock, Ulrich T1 - Aberration balancing using an image-sharpness metric JF - J. Opt. Soc. Am. A N2 - Image-sharpness metrics can be used to optimize optical systems and to control wavefront sensorless adaptive optics systems. We show that for an aberrated system, the numerical value of an image-sharpness metric can be improved by adding specific aberrations. The optimum amplitudes of the additional aberrations depend on the power spectral density of the spatial frequencies of the object. KW - adaptive optics; image-sharpness Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:836-opus-109198 UR - https://www.osapublishing.org/josaa/abstract.cfm?uri=josaa-36-8-1418 VL - 36 IS - 8 SP - 1418 EP - 1422 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Trinschek, Sarah A1 - Vorholt, Christian A1 - Wittrock, Ulrich T1 - Nonlinear dynamics in intra-cavity pumped thin-disk lasers JF - Optics Express N2 - Cross-saturation of the gain media in intra-cavity pumped lasers leads to complex dynamics of the laser power. We present experimental results and a detailed theoretical analysis of this nonlinear dynamics for an intra-cavity pumped Yb:YAG thin-disk laser in the framework of a rate-equation model. The gain medium of this laser is residing in the resonator of a conventional, diode-pumped Yb:YAG thin-disk laser. Continuous-wave operation, periodic pulse trains, and chaotic fluctuations of the optical power of both lasers were observed. The dynamics is not driven by external perturbations but arises naturally in this laser system. Further examination revealed that these modes of operation can be controlled by the resonator length of the diode-pumped laser but that the system can also show hysteresis and multi-stability. Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:836-opus-132355 UR - https://www.osapublishing.org/oe/fulltext.cfm?uri=oe-29-4-5755&id=447544 VL - 29 IS - 4 SP - 5755 EP - 5773 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Leitz, Sinje A1 - Gerhards, Maximilian A1 - Verpoort, Sven A1 - Wittrock, Ulrich A1 - Freudling, Maximilian A1 - Grzesik, Andreas A1 - Erhard, Markus A1 - Hallibert, Pascal T1 - Vibration and shock testing of a 50 mm aperture unimorph deformable mirror T2 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Space Optics (ICSO) N2 - We present our latest results on a refined unimorph deformable mirror which was developed in the frame of the ESA GSTP activity ”Enabling Technologies for Piezo-Based Deformable Mirrors in Active Optics Correction Chains”. The identified baseline concept with the soft piezoceramic material PIC151 successfully sustained all vibration requirements (17.8 gRMS random and 20 g sine) and shock testing (300 g SRS). We cover the mirror design development which reduces the stress in the brittle piezo-ceramic by 90 % compared to the design from a former GSTP activity. We briefly address the optical characterization of the deformable mirror, namely the achieved Zernike amplitudes as well as the unpowered surface deformation (1.7 µm) and active flattening (12.3 nmRMS). The mirror produces low-order Zernike modes with a stroke of several tens of micrometer over a correction aperture of 50 mm, which makes the mirror a versatile tool for space telescopes. KW - active optics KW - adaptive optics KW - deformable mirror KW - vibration damping KW - space telescopes Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:836-opus-137401 UR - https://icso2020.com/ VL - 11852 SP - 118524N ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Freudling, Maximilian A1 - Grzesik, Andreas A1 - Erhard, Markus A1 - Gerhards, Maximilian A1 - Leitz, Sinje A1 - Verpoort, Sven A1 - Wittrock, Ulrich A1 - Hallibert, Pascal T1 - Space-qualified piezo based deformable mirror for future instruments with active optics T2 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Space Optics (ICSO) N2 - This paper presents the results of the technology development project “Enabling Technologies for Piezo-Based Deformable Mirrors in Active Optics Correction Chains” conducted by OHB System AG together with its partner Münster University of Applied Sciences (MUAS). The project was funded by ESA within their General Support Technology Programme (GSTP). We address in this paper mainly the definition, flow-down and verification of the requirements for the Deformable Mirror (DM). The requirements were derived from a set of real space mission applications. The deformation of the mirror is performed by piezo-ceramic actuators in an unimorph configuration. The finally developed DM is able produce Zernike modes with a stroke of several tens of µm over a clear optical aperture of 50 mm in diameter. It underwent successfully a full environmental qualification campaign including thermal cycling, shock- and vibration testing, as well as exposure to proton and γ–ray radiation. Thermal and performance tests were performed in the temperature range from 100 K to 300 K. Furthermore, the DM sustained all vibration (random 17.8 g RMS and sinus) and shock (300 g) testing. Thereby all criticalities which were identified a previous study have been overcome successfully. A Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 5 is reached, as the component has been validated in relevant environment. Based on the high level of maturity, this deformable mirror is now ready for the incorporation in future flight instruments. The achieved TRL of 5 is sufficient for the status of a PDR at payload level and gives thus a very good basis for all kinds of potential B2, C/D payload developments. KW - deformable mirror KW - active optics KW - space qualification KW - space telescopes KW - adaptive optics Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:836-opus-137410 UR - https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/11852/1185231/Space-qualified-Piezo-Based-Deformable-Mirror-for-future-Instruments-with/10.1117/12.2599467.full VL - 11852 SP - 1185231-11 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Wittrock, Ulrich A1 - Welp, Petra T1 - Adaptive laser resonator control with deformable MOEMS mirrors T2 - MEMS/MOEMS Components and Their Applications III, Proc. SPIE N2 - Adaptive laser resonators with deformable MOEMS mirrors under closed-loop control are discussed and experimental results are presented. The requirements for deformable mirrors and for closed-loop control systems of these mirrors are analyzed. Several deformable mirrors have been characterized and the results are presented. Currently available membrane mirrors deform under laser load and need further development before they can be used for aberration correction of solid state lasers above some tens of Watts. Nevertheless, the results are encouraging and the requirements are within reach of currently available technology. Finally, we demonstrate an Nd.YVO4-laser with a closed-loop adaptive resonator and more than 6 W of output power. The closed-loop system was able to compensate artificially introduced aberrations from a phase plate. Y1 - 2006 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:836-opus-6537 VL - 6113 SP - 61130C PB - SPIE ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Albers, Klaus A1 - Wittrock, Ulrich T1 - Optical pump concepts for highly efficient quasi-three-level lasers JF - Appl. Phys. B N2 - Efficient quasi-three-level laser operation requires the generation of the highest possible pump rate from a given pump source. We derive the fundamental scaling laws for the pump rate and we extract optimization criteria for pump concepts from these laws. The analysis is then applied to the thin-disk laser. Based on the results, a novel pump concept for thin-disk lasers is proposed, which allows for several tens of pump beam passes and reduces the optical complexity of conventional pump concepts. Furthermore, the beam quality of the pump source is preserved almost completely, facilitating the highest possible pump rate. Y1 - 2011 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:836-opus-6467 VL - 105 SP - 245 EP - 254 PB - Springer ER -