Patent ID: 7494233
Filing Date: 2009-02-24
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. A deformable optical element, comprising: a reflective surface that is operable to receive a light beam defining an incident beam axis, the incident beam axis lying along a predominant direction of propagation of the light beam, the reflective surface including a deformable member having a surface including at least one zone movable with respect to a rest position in which the reflective surface is substantially planar, the reflective surface having a defined surface normal axis that is perpendicular to the reflective surface when the reflective surface is in the rest position, the incident beam axis being at an angle with respect to the surface normal axis; and at least one actuator coupled to the at least one zone of the reflective surface to, upon actuation of the at least one actuator, cause the at least one zone of the reflective surface to be deformed to approximate a section of a paraboloid of revolution, the section having an approximately elliptical boundary on the surface of the deformable member corresponding to the section being off center with respect to an axis of revolution of the paraboloid of revolution, the axis of revolution being substantially parallel to the incident beam axis, the major and minor axes of the elliptical boundary having different lengths, the section reflecting and focusing the light beam toward a focusing plane in a neighborhood of a geometrical focus of the paraboloid of revolution.