Fiber-based tools: material removal and mid-spatial frequency error reduction.

This paper details the feasibility of using fiber-based tools in a computer numerical control (CNC) environment to process optical materials and their ability to reduce the amplitude of pre-existing mid-spatial-frequency (MSF) surface errors. The work is motivated by earlier research conducted by the group exploring the ability of polymeric fiber-based tools to remove material from BK7 glass substrates. To evaluate these tools in a CNC environment, three tasks are explored.

Using quantum dots to tag subsurface damage in lapped and polished glass samples.

Grinding, lapping, and polishing are finishing processes used to achieve critical surface parameters in a variety of precision optical and electronic components. As these processes remove material from the surface through mechanical and chemical interactions, they may induce a damaged layer of cracks, voids, and stressed material below the surface. This subsurface damage (SSD) can degrade the performance of a final product by creating optical aberrations due to diffraction, premature failure in oscillating components, and a reduction in the laser induced damage threshold of high energy optics.