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Fast Steering Mirrors (FSM) - Design, Performance, And Tuning Of Piezo-Based Mechanisms

1 Fast Steering Mirrors for Scanning, Stabilization and FSO

In free space optical communication (FSO), large amounts of data are “beamed” between two points – on earth, on aircraft or between satellites in space. Fast steering mirrors (FSM) are one means to compensate for disturbances that could keep the laser beam from hitting its target receiver precisely. Flexure-guided piezo mirror mounts and tip/tilt platforms provide fast response, high resolution, and stability - ideal prerequisites for applications such as scanning, tracking, image stabilization, and free space optical communication. Since piezo motion is based on a solid state effects, piezo-driven systems and scanners can offer greater acceleration and dynamic bandwidth than voice coil or galvanometer scanners. When operated in closed-loop, piezo tip/tilt systems provided by PI can also achieve exceptional stability over long periods of time, for quasistatic positioning of optics with high demands on "pointing stability".

For highest guiding performance and life-time, flexure guides are used (Fig 1). Resolution into the nanoradian range are feasible along with high angular stability. Optical deflection angles of up to 70 mrad can be achieved with very short settling time (milliseconds to microseconds).