A new mirror manufacturing technology for free space optical communication

Robert Banham; Fabio Marioni; Giovanni Bianucci; Marco Terraneo; Giuseppe Valsecchi; Fabio E. Zocchi

doi:10.1117/12.2312610

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10 July 2018 A new mirror manufacturing technology for free space optical communication

Robert Banham, Fabio Marioni, Giovanni Bianucci, Marco Terraneo, Giuseppe Valsecchi, Fabio E. Zocchi

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Proceedings Volume 10706, Advances in Optical and Mechanical Technologies for Telescopes and Instrumentation III; 107060E (2018) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2312610
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2018, Austin, Texas, United States

Abstract

A manufacturing technology of mirrors for free-space optical communication is presented: a thin layer of Nickel is deposited on a master and bonded on a light-weighted structure by adhesive. After separation, the master is ready for another cycle. The process is cost-effective because only the master needs to be of optical quality. The structure is machined by traditional tooling, with figure errors compensated by the adhesive. Its curing time defines the process throughput to one mirror per day per master. Several 200 mm-aperture Ritchey-Chrétien telescopes have been manufactured and tested.

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Robert Banham, Fabio Marioni, Giovanni Bianucci, Marco Terraneo, Giuseppe Valsecchi, and Fabio E. Zocchi "A new mirror manufacturing technology for free space optical communication", Proc. SPIE 10706, Advances in Optical and Mechanical Technologies for Telescopes and Instrumentation III, 107060E (10 July 2018); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2312610

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