Creating Blazed Gratings for Freeform Mirror Surfaces

Spectrum Scientific proposes the fabrication of FUV blazed diffraction gratings using reactive ion beam etching (RIBE) on freeform surfaces. The primary advantage of this method over traditional techniques like ruling and holography is its ability to create high-efficiency, low-stray-light, gratings with a broad range of blaze wavelengths. This flexibility is crucial for various applications, especially in the support of NASA spaceborne instrumentation. By applying reactive ion beam etching to freeform surfaces, the technique has the potential to significantly reduce the number of optical components needed, leading to more compact and cost-effective systems. This is particularly relevant for small-scale space missions, such as those using CubeSat and SmallSat platforms, where payload weight is a crucial factor in launch costs. This work has the potential to revolutionize the design and manufacturing of diffraction gratings for space instrumentation, offering not only cost and weight savings but also the possibility of more versatile optical components. While the immediate focus is on aerospace applications, the impact of this technology could extend to other sectors, including life sciences, photonics, and telecommunications, where diffraction elements are critical for a wide range of applications. By using the successful Phase 1 RIE FUV Grating development as a launch point In Phase II SSI will: - Continue advancing the development of the reactive ion etching (RIE) process for FUV blazed grating fabrication. - Transition the technology for application on both planar and curved grating surfaces. - Address further development of the RIE process for grating fabrication on Freeform surfaces.