The small ELF in the Canary Islands

Each subaperture includes its own secondary and adaptive optics modules that are interferometrically combined at the final gregorian focus

To decrease the moving mass of the optical system the mirror supporting structure is designed to minimize all shear forces. This novel “tensegrity” form can reduce the required mass by as much as a factor of 10 for the same mechanical stiffness

We use mirror segments that are not abrassively polished. Our “curvature polishing” technology combined with electroactive polymers creates mirror stiffness without substrate mass

Piston/tip/tilt subaperture phasing is encoded in the gregorian image speckle pattern. Higher order wavefront control at each subaperture is produced with the adaptive secondary mirrors. Each of the M2 subapertures is a few cm in diameter.