The transmitted wavefront mid-spatial-frequency(MSF) errors of spherical lens has a great influence on the quality of the transmitted beam. Aiming at the problems of poor convergence precision and low convergence efficiency in mid-spatial frequency errors polishing of large square spherical lenses, this paper proposes a mid-spatial-frequency errors correction technology by using full-aperture rigid polishing combined with numerically controlled sub-aperture smooth polishing. In the full-aperture polishing stage, the surface shape distribution that is conducive to subsequent sub-aperture polishing is obtained through radius compensation technology to reduce the sudden change of surface shape in the corner area of the component. The more rigid polishing pad is used to smooth the whole surface then, so that the component has better MSF errors condition before the sub-aperture high-precision surface correction. In the stage of small tool CNC polishing, the transmission structure and mass distribution of the polishing disc are optimized, and the ideal transmission characteristics and size parameters of the polishing disc are obtained through mechanical simulation analysis to reduce the overturning moment of the polishing disc when the direction changes suddenly. This optimization also improves the pressure distribution of the polishing interface. Stability, a flexible polishing disc combined with a high dispersion polishing slurry is used to correct the surface errors. The concentration of the polishing slurry is optimized and the supply method is well changed. So when the surface shape errors convergence process is more efficient and controllable, it will not cause the deterioration of the MSF errors. The smooth tool is applied in the last stage with reducing the temperature change of the polishing interface. All these measures are aimed to increase the stability of smooth polishing and to achieve high-efficiency, high-precision and stable convergence of MSF errors. The experimental verification was carried out on four square spherical lenses with a size of 440mm×440mm. The final PSD1:RMS values have all reached within 1.8nm. Additionally the overall processing time has been greatly shortened.
Spectral beam combining technique is one of major approaches in power scaling of fiber lasers. In order to maximize beam-combining performance, maintain a high beam quality in the combining process, the absorption-induced wavefront distortion of the resulting combined beam must be considered. By reducing the film absorption, the dichroic filters will be promising competitors to dielectric gratings as crucial spectral beam combining elements. In this paper, two different structures: less-cavities (LC) structure and more-cavities (MC) structure of dichroic filter layers were carefully designed and fabricated by ion-beam sputtering deposition with high-precision layer thickness monitoring method. A photothermal scanning system based on laser-induced surface thermal lensing (STL) effect was used for analyzing the 1064nm wavelength absorption of dichroic filter layers in passband and stopband. Dichroic filter with reduced in-bandpass absorption was found in MC structure by relaxing the electric field strength in thin films. This approach is highly expected to have great potential for fabricating promising spectral beam combining dichroic filters with less thermal effect and higher laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT).
The large and thin plane optical windows are used in large high power laser devices. Typically conventional methods such as stressed-lap polishing and small-tool pitch polishing are used to manufacture these optics. Nevertheless, the required wavefront accuracy cannot be achieved by the last smal-tool pitch polishing process which can lead to middle spatial frequency errors and high-slope errors because of the edge effect , unstable removal rate and pressure -loaded deformation. Ion Beam Figuring (IBF) technology is an optical fabrication method which can highly correct different spatial frequency errors due to the highly deterministic, highly stable, very small tools and noncontact. In this paper, IBF was employed to correct different spatial frequency errors of a large and thin plane optical windows. Before IBF, transmission wavefront error of the substrate was 0.51λ PV, 32.3nm/cm GRMS, 2.91nm PSD1, 0.27nm PSD2, 0.38nm Rq after being polished by double-sided polishing machine, and was improved to 0.07λ PV, 2.1nm/cm GRMS, 1.76nm PSD1, 0.13nmPSD2, 0.33nmRq after only two IBF(about thirty six hours processing time). All spatial frequency errors reached the required values.
In large-scale high-power laser devices, the mid-spatial-frequency(MSF) error of the transmitted wavefront of the large-aperture spherical lens has a direct impact on the energy scattering of the high power laser. This paper proposes a technology about correction of MSF error of large-aperture spherical lens based on computer numerical control polishing. A smooth polishing theoretical model is established for spherical lens and the removal function morphology is optimized. To make a better MSF error convergence, the rigid conformed tool is designed and assembled. The polishing tool and the main axle are connected by a high-precision universal joint, so that the polishing pad can be flexibly attached to the surface of the workpiece when the tool is running. This makes it able to polish the square spherical workpiece with large curvature radius by the processing method of planar workpiece. In the earlier stage, two kinds of path are applied to converge the low- frequency error by crossing each other. Then the random path is applied for MSF error convergence. By the experimental varification of Four fused silica spherical lens with aperture of 440 mm × 440 mm, the RMS value of the PSD1 frequency band of the lens’ transmitted wavefront error is finally converg-ence to 2.2 nm through once MSF error correction.
Based on the theoretical model of small-tool polishing, this paper studied the influence of polishing parameters on the results of computer controlled optical surfacing. We compared different parameters of the removal function and the tool path and analyzed the residual mid-spatial frequency errors in the polishing process. The simulation results indicated that raster path combined with Gaussian removal function, contributing to high accuracy of PSD1 RMS, but leading to serious peaks of 1D PSD1 curves in some frequency points. In contrast, pseudo-random path combined with flat-topped removal function, resulting in lower accuracy of PSD1 RMS, but could effectively restrain the amplitude of the 1D PSD1 curves. Finally, experimental study was carried out on both of the 610 mm × 440 mm K9 material transmission mirror and 430 mm × 430 mm fused silica plane window, the RMS value of PSD1 converged from 3.72 nm to 1.61 nm, and decreased from 2.30 nm to 1.37 nm, respectively, which demonstrated the correctness of the model.
Aiming at the improvement of edge effect in CNC polishing. A new polishing method based on the surface extension is proposed. The basic idea and workflow are presented. The availability of this method is verified by simulation. Experimental study was carried out on 420mm×420mm caliber fused quartz optical element. The experimental results show that this method can restrain the collapse and warped edge surface. PV less than λ/3,GRMS less than 7.7nm/cm and PSD1 less than 1.8nm can be obtained combining the small scale smoothing technology.
The influence of polishing parameters such as particle size, pad material and pressure on the surface roughness of glass optics were investigated and analysed. It reveals that the surface roughness will get worse with increase of the polishing particle size. The surface roughness would remain stable in a certain period of polishing pressure, but get worse with increase of the pressure beyond the period. The surface roughness is getting better when using smooth pitch polishing pad than polyurethane pad with lots of micropores. By optimizing the polishing parameters, the surface roughness of large aperture fused silica window is improved to 0.46nm before band-pass filtering and 0.084nm after band-pass filtering.
Advanced mitigation process (AMP) has been identified as a most effective method to improve the laser induced damage threshold of the fused silica optics used in the large laser facility, and as the most important sub-process HF etching with multi-frequency megasonic agitation plays a decisive role to improve the damage threshold of fused silica. But because of the physical characteristics of megasonic, the etched surface is apt to generate striated haze which not only modulates the optical field, but also reduces the damage threshold significantly. In this paper, the generating mechanism of the striated haze is discussed, and both of the uneven acoustic field distribution and the optics' redeposited substance are recognized as the primary factor resulted this phenomenon, ultimately based on these discussions a slight swing when etching is proposed to eliminate this phenomenon.
HF-based etching has been an effective method to increase the laser induced damage thresholds (LIDTS) of fused silica optics. In this research, the effect of etching parameters on the surface quality and laser damage performance of fused silica with Megasonic-assisted HF acid etching has been investigated systematically. The fused silica samples (50mm in diameter and 5mm thick) were maufactured through the conventional grinding and chemical mechanical polishing process, these processed samples are etched with different etching parameters. Our results show that the frequency and distribution of megasonic field will bring great effect on the surface quality of optics. The LIDTS were measured by 1- on-1 mode, results showed that the 1.3MHz megasonic field and a certain amount of etching depth will benefit the laser damage performance of fused silica optics.
The effect of ion beam etching process on the surface quality, the surface roughness and the laser-induced damage threshold at 351nm was carried out. Research results reveal that the laser-induced damage threshold of fused silica was enhanced with the increase of etching depth when the etching depth was less than 800nm, and could be further enhanced about 30% at 800nm etching depth, however the laser-induced damage threshold began to decrease with the further increase of etching depth(more than 800nm). The test results of surface microtopography, laser damage morphology, and surface roughness reveal that the ion beam etching process can remove polishing re-deposition layer without degrading the surface condition at a smaller etching depth so as to enhance the laser-induced damage threshold of fused silica, however further ion etching which can produce impurity particle often results in a decrease rather than an increase of laser-induced damage threshold.
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