An optomechanical device having an interface that is mounted to another interface wherein the two interfaces are made of materials having the same or similar coefficients of thermal expansion and within the optomechanical device is an interface that is designed to compensate for the second mechanical component that is made of materials having the same or similar coefficients of thermal expansion as the optic or photonic device or instrument being held or controlled altogether with a fully constrained set of slip planes making for an optical mechanical device consisting of two or more materials that have coefficients of thermal expansion that are suitably matched to the materials it is being mounted to and the materials it is holding or controlling.

An apparatus having an optical structure and ridges is described, wherein adhesive is arranged between the ridges and the optical structure, wherein the adhesive is effective to effect, after its annealing, a predetermined orientation of the optical structure in relation to a reference plane.

A connection arrangement for connecting an optical component of an optical imaging arrangement to a support unit of a support structure includes: a connecting element unit having a support interface end with support interface section; and a component interface end with a component interface section.

An optical assembly includes: an optical element, which is transmissive or reflective to radiation at a used wavelength and has an optically used region; and a thermally conductive component, which is arranged outside the optically used region of the optical element. The thermally conductive component can include a material having a thermal conductivity of more than 500 W m.sup.1 K.sup.1. Additionally or alternatively, the product of the thickness of the thermally conductive component in millimeters and the thermal conductivity of the material of the thermally conductive component is at least 1 W mm m.sup.1 K.sup.1.

A telescope including a fastener plate, a primary mirror carried by a front face of the plate, and a secondary mirror held facing the primary mirror by a support, wherein the support includes a primary sleeve mounted around the primary mirror, a secondary sleeve mounted around the secondary mirror, and arms connecting the secondary sleeve to the primary sleeve, and in that the arms are curved towards the primary mirror.

A flexure including a bipod strut pair extending from a base and a titanium-zirconium-niobium alloy, which includes titanium, about 13.5 to about 14.5 wt. % zirconium, and about 18 to about 19 weight % (wt. %) niobium. The titanium-zirconium-niobium alloy has a congruent melting temperature of about 1750 to about 1800 Celsius ( C.).

An apparatus having an optical structure, ridges and an electrostatic actuator with a cantilever electrode is described, wherein the ridges connect the optical structure to a supporting structure and the electrostatic drive is implemented to deflect the optical structure.

An coronagraph optical system and method for continuously imaging a wide field of view that includes the Sun. Examples of the coronagraph optical system include an all-reflective foreoptics assembly that receives light rays from a viewed scene and a direct solar image of the Sun, a sensor assembly configured to produce an image of the viewed scene, an all-reflective relay optics assembly configured to receive the light rays from the foreoptics assembly and to reflect the light rays to the sensor assembly, and a solar rejection optical component positioned between the foreoptics assembly and the relay optics assembly and dynamically configurable such that the direct solar image of the Sun is reflected away from the relay optics assembly and the light rays are reflected to the relay optics assembly while an entrance aperture of the foreoptics assembly is continuously positioned towards the Sun.

An improved mount for, and method of mounting an, optical structure is provided. The mount has an optical structure comprising at least one mirror panel, the mirror panel comprising a reflective surface and a back surface substantially opposite the reflective surface, a protruding member extending from the back surface of the optical structure, the protruding member having a shape and the shape having an outside surface there-around, a base comprising a mounting element and an upper element extending from the mounting element, the upper element having a cavity for secured receipt therein of at least a portion of the protruding member, wherein the receiving cavity of the upper element has a shape identical to that of the shape of the protruding member, but where the shape of the protruding member is ten thousandths ( 1/10,000) of an inch smaller than the shape of the receiving cavity so that the outside surface of the protruding member is ten thousandths ( 1/10,000) of an inch away from the corresponding parts of the receiving cavity when the protruding member is secured within the cavity.

An optical mount includes a mount material in a closed geometry with an outer surface sized for matching internal dimensions of an outer housing, and an inner surface including spaced apart inward extending contacting features providing contact points that collectively define an inner opening sized for securing an optical device including a crystal within. At least one feature gap or a recessed portion is between the inward extending contacting features. Edge holders are adapted for receiving corners of the optical device can be the protrusion pair or inner notches. The outer surface includes at least one outer notch between the inward extending contacting features. The edge holders and outer notch(es) are for each acting as hinge points opening or pinching depending on a direction of force on the optical mount for responding with flexure when there is a dimensional change in the crystal, mount material, or the housing.