Surface figure metrology for reflective membrane mirrors based on phase-measuring deflectometry

Reflective membrane mirrors provide a lightweight, low-cost alternative to traditional optics for next-generation large-aperture telescopes, but their non-rigid, thin structure poses challenges for surface metrology. We present a phase-measuring deflectometry (PMD) system enhanced with tailored ray-tracing and iterative reconstruction to enable non-contact measurement of large membrane optics. The system successfully characterizes the surface figure and evaluates the dynamic stability of a 1-m Hencky-type membrane mirror. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of PMD as a practical metrology tool for future membrane-based telescope systems.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences
Published
2026-01-06
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2025.1707623
Primary Topic
Structural Analysis and Optimization
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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Surface figure metrology for reflective membrane mirrors based on phase-measuring deflectometry

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Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences
Structural Analysis and Optimization
article

Surface figure metrology for reflective membrane mirrors based on phase-measuring deflectometry

Zhengfei Zhuang, F. Du, Guang Yang, Mo-Nong Yu, Peilin Yin, Xin Yan, Wen Duan
article en

Abstract

Reflective membrane mirrors provide a lightweight, low-cost alternative to traditional optics for next-generation large-aperture telescopes, but their non-rigid, thin structure poses challenges for surface metrology. We present a phase-measuring deflectometry (PMD) system enhanced with tailored ray-tracing and iterative reconstruction to enable non-contact measurement of large membrane optics. The system successfully characterizes the surface figure and evaluates the dynamic stability of a 1-m Hencky-type membrane mirror. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of PMD as a practical metrology tool for future membrane-based telescope systems.

Frontiers in Astronomy and Space SciencesVol. 12
Openalex Percentile: Top 95%
Structural Analysis and Optimization
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