Performance Validation Of A High-Bandwidth Fine Steering Mirror For Optical Communications

This paper presents the first test results of a novel Fine Steering Mirror ( FSM) for optical communication terminals. The FSM utilizes efficient variable reluctance actuators, tailored for the specific application, making it highly compact and power efficient. The test results demonstrate a high dynamical performance of >1.7kHz closed-loop bandwidth, and an optical angular range of more than +/- 2 degrees in two axes. The actual optical angular jitter is less than 1.5 mu rad. These numbers demonstrate that this FSM is highly suitable for the evolving field of inter-satellite laser communications.