Initial Results from Implementing and Testing a Mems Adaptive Optics System: Post Print

This paper is the 3rd in a series of papers discussing characterization of a Micro-Electrical-Mechanical-System (MEMS) deformable mirror in adaptive optics. Here we present a comparison between a conventional adaptive optics system using a Xinetics continuous face sheet deformable mirror with that of segmented MEMS deformable mirror. We intentionally designed the optical layout to mimic that of a conventional adaptive optics system. We present this initial optical layout for the MEMS adaptive optics system and discuss problems incurred with implementing such a layout; also presented is an enhanced optical layout that partially addresses these problems. Closed loop Strehl highlighting the two systems will be shown for each case as well. Finally the performances of both conventional adaptive optics and the MEMS adaptive optics system is presented for a range of adaptive optics parameters pertinent to astronomical adaptive optics leading to a discussion of the possible implication of introducing a MEMS adaptive optics system into the science community.