Interferometric investigation of a controlled elastic mirror for the compensation of lower phase aberrations

An investigation was made of a working prototype of a continuous elastic mirror intended for modal control based on first- and second-order phase aberrations. A system of six lumped (concentrated) loads acting along the perimeter of a circular mirror clamped at the center produced tilts, resulted in focusing, and induced astigmatism of the wavefront with a satisfactory precision. The use of electromechanical drives to produce the loads made it possible to displace the reflecting surface of the mirror by up to 300 μm.