A fast steering mirror with large tilting angle, high natural frequency and high resolution driven by the dual mode actuators

To solve the problem of existing fast steering mirrors (FSMs) that cannot achieve the performance of large tilting angle, high natural frequency and high resolution, this study introduces a novel drive method of FSM driven by dual-mode actuators. The proposed FSM has two working modes, the first mode is the linear working mode, which works like a conventional piezoelectric FSM. The other is the deformable working mode, which is the accumulation of the motion in the linear working mode using actuator stepping to achieve a large output angle. And the experimental results revealed that the angle traveled for more than 95 mrad for both axes. The resolution was measured as high as 0.38 μrad with a voltage increment of 0.5 V. Furthermore, the natural frequency always exceeds 440 Hz. The mirror exhibits good closed-loop tracking accuracy, and the maximum tracking error of trajectory tracking control is approximately 1.4 μrad. [Display omitted] •The fast steering mirror(FSM) is driven by dual-mode actuators.•The FSM has two working modes: deformable working mode and linear working mode.•Deformable working mode: the actuators are driven step by step like inchworms, through the accumulation of movement, the fast mirror to obtain a larger stroke.•The linear mode of operation enables the FSM to always have a high natural frequency and high resolution.•Ddeformable and linear working modes of operation are seamless and switchable at any time.