Retardation Mapping System for Astronomical Mirrors

NASA’s next-generation space telescopes, including the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), require ultra-low polarization aberrations, but existing metrology tools cannot fully characterize polarization effects on large, curved astronomical mirrors over a broad spectral range. This project will advance Axometrics’ AxoScan Mueller matrix spectropolarimeter (MMSP-UW) into a fully commercialized system, enabling full Mueller matrix mapping from 250–2100 nm. Phase II funding will support the development of an integrated measurement system for 1-meter-class mirror segments, incorporating key advancements from Phase I, including a dual-detector architecture and hyper-achromatic retarder for extended spectral coverage and improved accuracy. The system will be delivered to NASA within a VVRM-1000D industrial ellipsometer platform for direct use in mirror validation and polarization control, supporting HWO and future space observatories. Beyond NASA, this technology has strong commercial applications in aerospace, semiconductor manufacturing, and precision optics, where high-accuracy polarization metrology is essential.