Novel cost-effective process for the replication of hybrid diffractive/refractive optical elements in silica glass
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
- Geltech, Inc., Gainesville, FL (United States)
- Geltech, Inc., Alachua, FL (United States)
This CRADA between Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (Contractor) and GELTECH, Inc. (Participant) has demonstrated the feasibility of producing hybrid diffractive/refractive optics by a replication process which lends itself to high-volume, low-cost production. The program has built unpon unique capabilities of the Contractor and the Participant to achieve this demonstration. The Contractor has extensive experience and unique capabilities in the technology of single point diamong turning for optical components. The Participant has achieved unique success in the development of manufacturing processes for high-quality silica optical components using sol-gel technology. The merging of these two leading technologies has provided a synergism resulting in the demonstration of a manufacturing technology for cost-effective, high-volume production of silica glass precision hybrid optical components. Hybrid optical components are systems that integrate diffractive optical surfaces into lenses, resulting in designs that minimize the aberrations that degrade image quality without the need for additional glass elements. This reduces the cost, weight, and complexity of the system, while improving the overall optical efficiency. Previous applications of hybrid optical components have been primarily for infra-red applications, where diamond-turned germanium or silicon optics have been used. Hybrid optics for use in the visible have been limited to laboratory curiosities that were directly turned into plastic substrates. Through this CRADA the authors have achieved a manufacturing process for producing high quality silica glass hybrid lenses in an way that lends itself to mass production.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-96OR22464
- OSTI ID:
- 661622
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/M-5865; ON: DE98003686; CRN: C/ORNL--94-0309; TRN: AHC29814%%143
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: [1998]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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