Slide-position errors degrade machined optical component quality

Conference · Fri Dec 12 04:00:00 EST 1975

OSTI ID:4131374

Arnold, J B; Steger, P J; Burleson, R R

An ultraprecision lathe is being developed at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant to fabricate optical components for use in high-energy laser systems. The lathe has the capability to produce virtually any shape mirror which is symmetrical about an axis of revolution. Two basic types of mirrors are fabricated on the lathe, namely: (1) mirrors which are machined using a single slide motion (such as flats and cylinders), and (2) mirrors which are produced by two-coordinated slide motions (such as hyperbolic reflectors; large, true-radius reflectors, and other contoured-surface reflectors). The surface-finish quality of typical mirrors machined by a single axis of motion is better than 13 nm, peak to valley, which is an order of magnitude better than the surface finishes of mirrors produced by two axes of motion. Surface finish refers to short-wavelength-figure errors that are visibly detectable. The primary cause of the inability to produce significantly better surface finishes on contoured mirrors has been determined as positional errors which exist in the slide positioning systems. The correction of these errors must be accomplished before contoured surface finishes comparable to the flat and cylinder can be machined on the lathe. (auth)

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Tenn. (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• NSA Number: NSA-33-009116
• OSTI ID: 4131374
• Report Number(s): Y-DA--6346; CONF-750748--1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

*LASER MIRRORS-- MACHINING
*MACHINE TOOLS-- PERFORMANCE
420300* --Engineering--Lasers
DESIGN
FABRICATION
N42210* --Engineering--Facilities & Equipment--Lasers
OPERATION
SURFACE FINISHING