Fast steering mirror

1. An apparatus for tilting a mirror comprising:

a mirror for reflecting light from an object;

a plate for supporting the mirror; and

a diaphragm sandwiched between the mirror and the plate, the diaphragm including a planar substrate having a center and a circumferential edge surrounding the center, and

the diaphragm including cutout portions forming a pattern in the diaphragm,

wherein the plate provides tilt motion to the mirror, and

the pattern in the diaphragm stabilizes the tilt motion of the mirror, and

the pattern includes a plurality of first cutout portions, each of the first cutout portions defined by at least two first legs originating from a common location proximate to the center and extending toward the circumferential edge, and

a plurality of second cutout portions, each of the second cutout portions defined by at least two second legs originating from a common location proximate to the circumferential edge and extending toward the center.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein

the plurality of first and second cutout portions are arranged symmetrically about the substrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein

each of the first cutout portions includes three legs, and

each of the second cutout portions includes two legs.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein

at least one first leg of each of the first cutout portions is disposed between at least two second legs of each of the second cutout portions.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein

the first legs of the plurality of first cutout portions are interlaced with the second legs of the plurality of second cutout portions.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein

the plate forms a top surface oriented in an X, Y plane of an orthogonal X, Y, Z coordinate system, and

the apparatus further comprises:

a plurality of yokes extending from the plate downwardly in a Z direction of the X, Y, Z coordinate system, each of the yokes receiving a coil for forming a magnetic field,

a plurality of pairs of magnets, each pair of magnets oriented to sandwich a respective coil, each pair of magnets and a respective coil defining a push/pull set,

wherein each push/pull set is arranged to push upwardly or downwardly in the Z direction on the plate.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein

the plate is fixed in the Z direction at a central point, and free to rotate in X and Y directions, and

two first push/pull sets are arranged to rotate the plate in the X direction.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein

two second push/pull sets are oriented orthogonally to the two first push/pull sets and arranged to rotate the plate in the Y direction.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein

the pattern in the diaphragm provides a nearly constant stiffness value (expressed in inch-pounds per degree) as a function of different tilt angles (expressed in degrees).

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein

the pattern in the diaphragm provides a first slope value obtained from stiffness values as a function of degrees that is smaller than a second slope value of a similar diaphragm without a cutout pattern.

11. An apparatus for sensing angular position of a mirror comprising:

a plate forming an X, Y plane in an X, Y, Z coordinate system for providing angular motion to the mirror about X and Y axes,

four proximity sensors oriented equidistantly on a radius from a center point of the plate and sequentially positioned 90 degrees from one another,

each proximity sensor located 45 degrees from the X or Y axis, and separated from the plate by a gap in a Z direction,

wherein each of the sensors provides a decreasing output voltage when a respective gap to the drive plate decreases, and a constant output voltage when the respective gap to the drive plate increases, and

a circuit for receiving the output voltage from each of the sensors and determining the angular position of the mirror.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the circuit includes

a first differential amplifier for receiving the output voltages from two proximity sensors positioned 180 degrees from each other and determining a first difference voltage,

a second differential amplifier for receiving the output voltages from the other two proximity sensors and determining a second difference voltage,

a third differential amplifier for receiving the first and second difference voltages and determining a third difference voltage, and

a summing amplifier for receiving the first and second difference voltages and determining a summed voltage,

wherein the angular position of the mirror is determined by the third difference voltage and the summed voltage, respectively, representing angular rotations about the Y axis and X axis.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 including

a diaphragm sandwiched between the mirror and the plate, the diaphragm including cutout portions forming a pattern in the diaphragm,

wherein the pattern in the diaphragm linearizes the angular motion of the mirror.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein

the pattern in the diaphragm is effective in moving the mirror independently about the X axis, and moving the mirror independently about the Y axis.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein

the diaphragm includes a planar substrate fixed at the center point, and

the pattern includes a plurality of cutout portions arranged symmetrically about the center point in a serpentine pattern.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein

the pattern in the diaphragm provides a nearly constant stiffness value (expressed in inch-pounds per degree) as a function of angular change (expressed in degrees).