LOW-ORDER ADAPTIVE DEFORMABLE MIRROR

We report the main parameters of a nine-electrode bimorph piezoelectri c adaptive mirror designed to correct low-order aberrations. We descri be measurements of the control coefficients for defocus, astigmatism, pure coma, and spherical aberration of this mirror and the temperature stability of its profile. The performance of a simple adaptive optica l system for imaging through laboratory-generated turbulence is invest igated. This low-order device is suitable for small (<1-m-diameter) te lescopes and for nonastronomical applications of adaptive optics. (C) 1998 Optical Society of America.