A proposed methodology is presented to shape, fine grind, and polish non rotationally symmetric corrector elements for conformal windows. The rational behind rough and fine polishing is detailed. Various methods to deterministically fine polish the element are discussed. These methods include the… More

An innovative technique for rapid polishing of optics called VIBE is discussed. How it can be applied to the fabrication of aerodynamic domes in the shape of an ogive is presented. Preliminary results are presented that show the VIBE process can effectively polish ALON. In addition, the very… More

The goal of this SBIR Phase II is to produce a polished PCA tangent ogive dome using VIBE. VIBE is a conformal, high speed polishing process that utilizes many of the concepts known to conventional lapping (grinding) and polishing and combines them with a high frequency motion to maximize removal… More

The Optimax VIBE process is a full-aperture, conformal polishing process incorporating high frequency motion that rapidly removes sub-surface damage in a VIBE pre-polish step and eliminates mid-spatial frequency (MSF) errors created by deterministic polishing in a VIBE finishing step. This Phase I… More

The innovative VIBE process is a full-aperture, conformal polishing process designed to incorporate high frequency and random motion to rapidly remove grinding damage in a VIBE polishing step, while maintaining the desired form. This research proposal proposes to implement VIBE to rapidly polish a… More

The Optimax VIBE finishing process is a fast (<60 second), full-aperture, conformal polishing process incorporating high frequency motion that rapidly eliminates mid-spatial frequency (MSF) errors created by deterministic polishing. During Phase I, we were able to show feasibility that the… More

The Optimax VIBE process is a full-aperture, conformal polishing processincorporating high frequency motion that rapidly removes sub-surfacedamage in a VIBE pre-polish step and eliminates mid-spatial frequency(MSF) errors created by deterministic polishing in a VIBE finishing step.This Phase I… More

We propose to use a novel gauge along with our innovative optical fabrication methods to deterministically finish a concentric dome with an embedded conductive grid.

This feasibility study will focus on implementing our VIBE technology on large sapphire substrates. We have had past success with hard polycrystalline materials with removal rates 10-50x higher than conventional polishing. We feel confident that we can obtain similar high removal rates on sapphire.… More

The tangent ogive dome was developed to reduce drag during high-speed flight. In addition to the reduced drag during flight, the aerodynamic shape along with the hard ceramic material, such as polycrystalline alumina (PCA), minimizes the threat of damage due to solid or liquid airborne particles.… More

The tangent ogive dome was developed to reduce drag during high-speed flight. In addition to the reduced drag during flight, the aerodynamic shape along with the hard ceramic material, minimizes the threat of damage due to solid or liquid airborne particles. It will be necessary for refractive… More

We propose to combine novel optical generation and high speed polishing along with deterministic finishing to produce optical quality spinel conformal windows.

The tangent ogive dome was developed to reduce drag during high-speed flight. In addition to the reduced drag during flight, the aerodynamic shape along with the hard ceramic material, minimizes the threat of damage due to solid or liquid airborne particles. It will be necessary for refractive… More

This Phase II project will focus on scaling the high speed process demonstrated in the Phase I feasibility study for high speed polishing of sapphire windows. In addition to creating optical quality windows we will also be measuring the resulting strength of the windows with destructive testing.