Ferroelectric driven active optics for space telescopes

Research: Set and Hold Piezoelectric Actuators for Space Telescope
Sponsor: JPL SURP
Faculty: C.S. Lynch
Partner: J. Steeves, JPL
Students: F. Golanveaux
Visiting Student: K. Bele (France)

Link to related work:

Stack actuator electro-mechanically loaded. Strain gages and digital image correlation monitor deformation. Characterization over temperature range: 4 to 300 Kelvin. (UCLA Facility reaches -70C using liquid Nitrogen, JPL system goes to 4 Kelvin)

Brief Description:
Use hysteresis to set and hold actuator strain. Determine if a combination of compressive stress and electric field can drive non-180 degree domain wall motion in ferroelectric materials near absolute zero temperature.

Approach:
Experimental characterization and thermodynamics based modeling.