Devices for thermally actuating deformable mirror, and associated manufacturing methods

A device for thermally actuating a deformable mirror, comprising:

• a monolithic block including:
• a base,
• a mirror plate having a front face forming or configured to support a mirror, the monolithic block having a length between the front face of the mirror plate and a rear face of the base,
• a one-dimensional array of four thermally expandable actuators distributed along a width of the monolithic block and mechanically connecting the rear face of the mirror plate to the base such that at least one of shape, tilt, and location of the front face depends on temperature of the thermally expandable actuators, each thermally expandable actuator having a front end closest to the mirror plate and a rear end closest to the base, the four thermally expandable actuators including two outer actuators, and two central actuators located between the two outer actuators,
• a plurality of front connectors mechanically connecting a rear face of the mirror plate to the front ends of the thermally expandable actuators, the front connectors including a single central front connector that mechanically connects the mirror plate to the front end of each of the two central actuators, such that temperature of the two central actuators control a torque leveraged by the single central front connector on the mirror plate in a plane defined by the width and the length, and
• a plurality of rear connectors mechanically connecting the base to the rear ends of the thermally expandable actuators;
• wherein the mirror plate, base, front connectors, rear connectors, and thermally expandable actuators are defined by slits spanning between opposite-facing top and bottom surfaces of the monolithic block.