Title: MOEMS deformable mirror testing in cryo for future optical instrumentation,
Abstract: MOEMS Deformable Mirrors (DM) are key components for next generation
instruments with innovative adaptive optics systems, in existing telescopes and
in the future ELTs. These DMs must perform at room temperature as well as in
cryogenic and vacuum environment. Ideally, the MOEMS-DMs must be designed to
operate in such environment. We present some major rules for designing /
operating DMs in cryo and vacuum. We chose to use interferometry for the full
characterization of these devices, including surface quality measurement in
static and dynamical modes, at ambient and in vacuum/cryo. Thanks to our
previous set-up developments, we placed a compact cryo-vacuum chamber designed
for reaching 10-6 mbar and 160K, in front of our custom Michelson
interferometer, able to measure performances of the DM at actuator/segment
level as well as whole mirror level, with a lateral resolution of 2{\mu}m and a
sub-nanometric z-resolution. Using this interferometric bench, we tested the
Iris AO PTT111 DM: this unique and robust design uses an array of single
crystalline silicon hexagonal mirrors with a pitch of 606{\mu}m, able to move
in tip, tilt and piston with strokes from 5 to 7{\mu}m, and tilt angle in the
range of +/-5mrad. They exhibit typically an open-loop flat surface figure as
good as <20nm rms. A specific mount including electronic and opto-mechanical
interfaces has been designed for fitting in the test chamber. Segment
deformation, mirror shaping, open-loop operation are tested at room and cryo
temperature and results are compared. The device could be operated successfully
at 160K. An additional, mainly focus-like, 500 nm deformation is measured at
160K; we were able to recover the best flat in cryo by correcting the focus and
local tip-tilts on some segments. Tests on DM with different mirror thicknesses
(25{\mu}m and 50{\mu}m) and different coatings (silver and gold) are currently
under way.