Claims
- 1. An active reflector comprising:
a body member, a reflective multilayer coupled to said body member, and at least one actuator coupled to at least one of said reflective multilayer and said body member, wherein said actuator is operable to exert a force having a component in a direction parallel to a surface figure of said reflective multilayer to adjust the surface figure of said reflective multilayer.
- 2. An active reflector according to claim 1, wherein said actuator is operable to apply force to at least one of said reflective multilayer and said body member such that a force component in a direction perpendicular to the plane of said reflecting multilayer is less than 50% of a total force exerted by said actuator.
- 3. An active reflector according to claim 2, wherein said force component in the direction perpendicular to the plane of said reflecting multilayer is less than 20% of the total force exerted by the actuator.
- 4. An active reflector according to claim 1, wherein said actuator is operable to apply a force to at least one of said reflective multilayer and said body member substantially only in directions parallel to the plane of said reflecting multilayer.
- 5. An active reflector according to claim 1, wherein said actuator is operative to apply a torque to at least one of said reflective multilayer and said body member.
- 6. An active reflector according to claim 5, wherein said actuator is operative to apply a torque about a point in or near said reflective multilayer.
- 7. An active reflector according to claim 1, further comprising:
a first projection at a back side of said body member opposing said reflective multilayer, wherein said actuator is mechanically linked to said first projection so as to exert a torque about a point in or near said reflective multilayer.
- 8. An active reflector according to claim 7, further comprising:
a second projection at a back side of said body member opposing said reflective multilayer, wherein said actuator is further mechanically linked to said second projection so as to exert a torque about a point in or near said reflective multilayer.
- 9. An active reflector according to claim 8, wherein said first projection and said second projection are spaced apart from each other and said actuator is interposed between said first projection and said second projection.
- 10. An active reflector according to claim 9, wherein a contraction of said actuator induces an outward curvature of the surface figure of at least a portion of said reflective multilayer and an expansion of actuator induces an inward curvature of the surface figure of at least a portion of said reflective multilayer.
- 11. An active reflector according to claim 8, wherein a length of said first projection and said second projection is selected to effect an amount of curvature of the surface figure of at least a portion of said reflective layer.
- 12. An active reflector according to claim 8, wherein a thickness of said first projection and said second projection is selected to effect an amount of curvature of the surface figure of at least a portion of said reflective layer.
- 13. An active reflector according to claim 8, wherein a distance between said first projection and said second projection is selected to effect an amount of curvature of the surface figure of at least a portion of said reflective layer.
- 14. An active reflector according to claim 8, wherein a thickness of said body member is selected to effect an amount of curvature of the surface figure of at least a portion of said reflective layer.
- 15. An active reflector according to claim 8, wherein an amount of force exerted on at least one of said first projection and said second projection effects an amount of curvature of the surface figure of at least a portion of said reflective layer.
- 16. An active reflector according to claim 7, further comprising:
a second projection at a back side of said body member opposing said reflective multilayer, wherein said first projection and said second projection define walls of a cavity.
- 17. An active reflector according to claim 16, wherein said cavity is adapted to contain a fluid so as to exert one of a pneumatic force and a hydraulic force on at least one of said first projection and said second projection.
- 18. An active reflector according to claim 16, wherein at least one of a length and a thickness of said first projection and said second projection effects an amount of curvature of the surface figure of at least a portion of said reflective layer.
- 19. An active reflector according to claim 16, wherein a distance between said first projection and said second projection effects an amount of curvature of the surface figure of at least a portion of said reflective layer.
- 20. An active reflector according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of actuators arranged in an array.
- 21. An active reflector according to claim 20, wherein said plurality of actuators are arranged in two arrays of oppositely inclined actuators.
- 22. An active reflector according to claim 21, wherein two oppositely inclined actuators in said two arrays of oppositely inclined actuators are connected to the reflective multilayer at a same point.
- 23. An active reflector according to claim 22, wherein one of said two actuators exerts a first force on said reflective multilayer and another one of said two actuators exerts a second force on said reflective multilayer such that a resultant force of said first force and said second force is substantially parallel to a surface figure of said reflective multilayer.
- 24. An active reflector according to claim 22, wherein at least one actuator in said plurality of actuators exerts a force perpendicular to said reflective multilayer, said perpendicular force compensating for components of forces which are perpendicular to said reflective multilayer.
- 25. An active reflector according to claim 1, wherein said actuator comprises a piezoelectric actuator.
- 26. An active reflector according to claim 1, wherein said actuator comprises one of a pneumatic and a hydraulic actuator.
- 27. An active reflector according to claim 1, wherein said reflective multilayer has a higher in-plane stiffness than out-of-plane stiffness.
- 28. An active reflector according to claim 1, wherein optical aberrations in said reflective multilayer are correctable by adjusting the surface figure of said reflective multilayer.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
00305958.1 |
Jul 2000 |
EP |
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/902,490, filed Jul. 11, 2001, which in turn claims priority from European Patent Application No. 00305958.1, filed Jul. 13, 2000, both of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties.
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09902490 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Child |
10834834 |
Apr 2004 |
US |