Can Multi-Scale Optics be Fabricated by Ultraprecision Systems - Hierarchical Fabrication Across Seven Orders of Magnitude?

该奖项的研究目标是应用和推广扫描探针显微镜和光学光刻领域的位置测量技术，以解决精密五轴钻石加工中数十纳米级的相对刀具定位问题。这将使在单个组件上制造尺寸从数百毫米到数百纳米的新型分层集成、单片、光学结构成为可能。方法将是利用精密工程中已有的热控制和软件误差补偿技术，创建一个完全补偿的“机器内机器”，其不确定度比原始系统小一个数量级。在这个较小的工作量内，将设计一个工具定位系统，使用低力接触和非接触传感器的组合来定位两个亚波长精度的单晶金刚石工具的相对位置，例如基于电容的气浮探头、石英音叉和浸油光学元件。该系统将通过使用其中一种工具来制造曲面球面或非球面光学表面，以及使用另一种工具在该曲面上放置光学功能亚波长图案来进行测试；偏振敏感透镜是一个容易测试的例子。如果成功，这项工作将产生一种创造具有其他方法无法实现的功能的创新光学类别的范例，并将使医疗、军事和能源技术等不同领域受益。这项研究有可能为光学设备开辟新的商业市场。因此，整个计划还针对教育研究的多个综合倡议，通过利用现有的校园外展努力，最终目标是培养受过培训的学生，以便将新技术转移到行业并酌情建立新的商业企业。

The research objective of this award is to apply and extend position measurement techniques from the fields of scanned probe microscopy and optical lithography to solve the problem of relative tool positioning at the tens-of-nanometer level in precision five axis diamond machining. This will enable the fabrication of novel hierarchically integrated, monolithic, optical structures with size scales ranging from hundreds of millimeters down to hundreds of nanometers on a single component. The approach will be to create a fully compensated "machine-within-a-machine" with uncertainties that are an order of magnitude less than those of the original system using established thermal control and software error compensation techniques in precision engineering. Within this smaller work volume, a tool location system will be designed to locate the relative position of two single crystal diamond tools with sub-wavelength precision using a combination of low-force contact and non-contact sensors such as capacitance based air-bearing probes, quartz tuning forks, and oil immersion optical elements. The system will be tested by using one of the tools to manufacture a curved spherical or aspheric optical surface and the other to place an optically functional subwavelength pattern on that curved surface; a polarization sensitive lens is an easily tested example. If successful, this work will result in a paradigm for creating an innovative class of optics with functionality that cannot be achieved by other methods and will benefit such diverse areas as medical, military and energy technologies. This research has the potential to open up new commercial markets for optical devices. Thus, the overall program also targets multiple, integrated initiatives for research in education by leveraging existing, on-campus outreach efforts with the end goal of producing students that are trained to transfer the new technologies to industry and establish new commercial enterprises as appropriate.