Fabrication of a large, thin, off-axis aspheric mirror

Robert A. Jones

doi:10.1117/12.183399

1 December 1994 Fabrication of a large, thin, off-axis aspheric mirror

Robert A. Jones

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 33, Issue 12, (December 1994). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.183399

Abstract

The manufacture of segmented active primary mirrors poses difficult fabrication problems for the component off-axis aspheric mirrors. An effort was conducted to develop and demonstrate the necessary fabrication technology to rapidly manufacture the segments of 10-m-class active mirrors. On this project, a 4-m, pie-shaped, 1.7-cm-thick, off-axis parabolic facesheet was fabricated. The key steps of this operation were shaping the segment (prior to all surfacing steps), generating the back and front surfaces using numerically controlled machining, and computer-controlled optical surfacing (CCOS) for vacuum grinding and polishing the front surface. The CCOS polishing rapidly brought the facesheet to within 0.035 μm rms of the proper parabolic surface and produced a superior surface finish with only 8-Å roughness and no visible scratches.

Citation Download Citation

Robert A. Jones "Fabrication of a large, thin, off-axis aspheric mirror," Optical Engineering 33(12), (1 December 1994). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.183399

Published: 1 December 1994

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available