Dual Band Mirror System on Flexible Membrane for High Energy Laser Applications

Emerging laser systems require defect-free coatings applied to flexible membrane optics in excess of 1-meter in diameter. Multilayer dielectric coatings have been developed to provide high reflectivity and very low absorption for high power laser beams.Surface Optics Corporation (SOC), in conjunction with SRS Technologies, propose to demonstrate a dual band mirror system applied to a CP1 polymeric membrane. The proposed innovation consists of an ultra-high reflectivity, narrow band, dielectric mirror onthe front surface of the CP1 film and a wide band dielectric mirror on the backside of the substrate. The first surface mirror is designed to efficiently reflect the high energy laser (HEL), while the second surface mirror provides imaging capability inthe visible or near IR band and high transmission at the HEL wavelength of interest. This design takes advantage of the fact that the two mirror systems do not interfere with each other when the substrate film thickness is significantly greater than theimaging wavelength.This innovation utilizes Surface Optics' ion-assisted deposition techniques and SRS Technologies' membrane casting technology. This technology will allow the creation of HEL coatings on large compliant substrates for many commercial and government applications. These applications include relay mirrors, space based laser systems, and large aperture telescopes.