In the frame of an international R&D project, a team from Japan and Germany developed a replica process to manufacture a CFRP honeycomb mirror for visible application. The main target was to generate the optical surface with minimized effort to achieve a microroughness of better (1 – 2) nm RMS. This technology would enable the team to manufacture cost-effective mirrors for larger amounts, like for constellations. In this paper, we will present the recent results of this development and the finally achieved performance of a 300 mm light CFRP mirror. We will also present lessons learned for next steps of development to achieve such mirrors with an optical performance not only for microroughness but also for surface accuracy.
A new process for prototype manufacturing of integrated optical components was investigated. Sodium ions near the surface of a glass wafer are exchanged with silver ions, which creates a layer of increased refractive index. Subsequently, parts of the glass surface are ablated using a femtosecond laser. The resulting ridges determine the final optical waveguide structure. However, manufacturing-related roughness leads to high optical losses. To reduce these losses and to optimize the index profile, a second ion exchange with sodium ions is performed. These ions are introduced into the glass from all three ridge surfaces, causing the silver ions to migrate towards the ridge center. This results in a gradient index waveguide. We created a numerical model, to simulate the ion exchanges. Experiments were conducted, to determine the parameters for the ion exchange and the laser ablation. Based on the results, a process window was defined for each step, thus enabling the manufacturing of integrated optical components.
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