Deformable mirrors for open-loop adaptive optics

We characterize the performance of deformable mirrors for use in open-loop regimes. This is especially relevant for Multi Object Adaptive Optics (MOAO), or for closed-loop schemes that require improved accuracies. Deformable mirrors are usually characterized by standard parameters, such as influence functions, linearity, hysteresis, etc. We show that these parameters are insufficient for characterizing open-loop performance and that a deeper analysis of the mirror's behavior is then required. The measurements on the deformable mirrors were performed in 2007 on the AO test bench of the Meudon observatory, SESAME.