Apparatus, comprising: a directed energy processing component (141, 142) having associated with it a preferred alignment of directed energy to one or both of received energy and provided energy; at least one polymer actuator (A1, A2), positioned proximate the directed energy processing component (141, 142) to provide thereto a force adapted to enable the preferred alignment of directed energy; a detector, for detecting a qualitative parameter associated with the provided energy; and a processor, for adjusting the polymer actuator (A1, A2) in a manner tending to improve the detected qualitative parameter; wherein the directed energy processing component (141, 142) comprises a prism having a substantially transparent low modulus material (TLMM) disposed between two substantially transparent plates (PW1, PW2), at least one plate (PW1, PW2) being positioned into a non-coplanar relationship with the other plate (PW1, PW2) in response to urging by the at least one polymer actuator (A1, A2) such that a beam passing through the plates (PW1, PW2) changes direction due to refraction from surfaces not normal to the beam propagation direction, and, when the two plates (PW1, PW2) are positioned into a non-coplanar relationship with respect to each other, the transparent low modulus material (TLMM) adapts to space available between the two plates (PW1, PW2) such that a beam passing through the prism only passes through the plates (PW1, PW2) and the transparent low modulus material (TLMM), whereby the prism comprises one or more additional actuators disposed within the plates (PW1, PW2), the one or more additional actuators configured to adjust the relative position of the plates (PW1, PW2) with respect to each other in any direction. a directed energy processing component (141, 142) having associated with it a preferred alignment of directed energy to one or both of received energy and provided energy; at least one polymer actuator (A1, A2), positioned proximate the directed energy processing component (141, 142) to provide thereto a force adapted to enable the preferred alignment of directed energy; a detector, for detecting a qualitative parameter associated with the provided energy; and a processor, for adjusting the polymer actuator (A1, A2) in a manner tending to improve the detected qualitative parameter; wherein the directed energy processing component (141, 142) comprises a prism having a substantially transparent low modulus material (TLMM) disposed between two substantially transparent plates (PW1, PW2), at least one plate (PW1, PW2) being positioned into a non-coplanar relationship with the other plate (PW1, PW2) in response to urging by the at least one polymer actuator (A1, A2) such that a beam passing through the plates (PW1, PW2) changes direction due to refraction from surfaces not normal to the beam propagation direction, and, when the two plates (PW1, PW2) are positioned into a non-coplanar relationship with respect to each other, the transparent low modulus material (TLMM) adapts to space available between the two plates (PW1, PW2) such that a beam passing through the prism only passes through the plates (PW1, PW2) and the transparent low modulus material (TLMM), whereby the prism comprises one or more additional actuators disposed within the plates (PW1, PW2), the one or more additional actuators configured to adjust the relative position of the plates (PW1, PW2) with respect to each other in any direction.