Key functional elements of a high-density actuator deformable mirror, driven by radiation pressure from a VCSELs array. Bottom to top: fully addressable VCSELs array of laser diodes in the near-infrared (808−1064 nm). The emitting region of the laser diode is around 9 μm (the laser size), and the actuator pitch is given by the laser diode spacing. Each Gaussian beam (provided by laser diodes) is collimated by a square microlens array in fused silica with a proper anti-reflection coating (transmission >99.5%). The microlens array must be very well aligned (<0.5 μm) with the VCSEL array. If the VCSELs array is not in polarized emission, a linear polarizer is needed. The light passes through an optical polarizing device and arrives on a thin CVD-diamond membrane (≈1 μm of thickness) with aluminum coating (100 nm of thickness) on each face. The linear polarizer and the optical polarizing device management can have the same component as a polarizing cube with high polarization purity (>10⁴). The radiation pressure produced by each laser diode locally distorts the membrane with a Gaussian shape, which definies the actuator response of the system.