Collaborative Research: Manufacturing of Complex Optical Elements for Advanced Imaging Systems

这项拨款支持与制造复杂光学元件所需的先进制造工艺相关的新知识的研究。它将促进科学进步，增强我国制造先进光学系统的能力。超精密机器利用单晶钻石工具制造光学元件，其尺寸精度约为人类头发直径的一小部分，约为一米的十万分之一。新的超精密机械技术使制造几乎任意形状的光学元件成为可能，这种光学元件被称为自由形状光学元件。这种自由使光学设计人员能够以全新的方式思考。作为自由曲面光学的使能技术之一，超精密加工有望在光学革命中发挥重要作用。这项技术的一个主要应用领域是制造用于热成像和夜视系统的光学元件。该奖项支持具有成本效益的自由形状光学元件制造所需的基础研究。虽然直接影响的领域是热成像，但这项研究在许多对美国经济部门至关重要的行业都有更广泛的应用，包括太阳能、医疗保健、生物医学、航空航天、国防和汽车。这项研究跨越了制造、机械工程、材料科学和光学等学科，采用多学科的方法，旨在扩大未被充分代表的群体的研究参与，并积极影响工程教育。本研究的目的是检验单点金刚石加工单点金刚石加工锗或硅等脆性单晶材料时，随着切割速度的提高，材料去除机制发生转变的假设。超精密钻石加工实验将在北卡罗来纳大学夏洛特分校进行，旨在探索提高切割速度对主导切割机械的影响。这项研究将集中在1)高速钻石飞切，2)使用快速刀具伺服的高速正交切割，以便快速从切割中取出刀具，以及3)欧姆接触切割，以探索材料相变的可能性。高带宽动态力、切屑形态和材料相的变化，如果有的话，将被量化。加工样品的表面和亚表面将由俄克拉荷马州立大学和洛斯阿拉莫斯国家实验室进行原子力显微镜、沟道卢瑟福背散射光谱、拉曼光谱和横截面电子显微镜的表征。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This grant supports research that contributes new knowledge related to an advanced manufacturing process that is required for creating complex optical components. It will promote the advancement of science and strengthen our national capabilities for manufacturing of advanced optical systems. Ultra-precision machines utilize single crystal diamond tools to manufacture optics with dimensional accuracies that are on the order of a small fraction of the diameter of a human hair, approximately one ten-millionth of one meter. New ultra-precision machine technology enables the manufacture of optics of nearly arbitrary shape, known as freeform optics. This freedom allows optics designers to think in entirely new ways. As one of the enabling technologies for freeform optics, ultra-precision machining is poised to play a major role in an optical revolution. A prime application area of this technology is the manufacture of optics for thermal imaging and night vision systems. This award supports fundamental research needed for the cost-effective manufacture of freeform optics. While the immediate impact area is thermal imaging, the research has broader application to many industry sectors critical to the U.S. economic sectors including solar energy, healthcare, biomedical, aerospace, defense and automotive. This research crosses the disciplines of manufacturing, mechanical engineering, materials science and optical science and the multi-disciplinary approach is used to broaden participation of underrepresented groups in research and positively impact engineering education.The research objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that there is a shift in material removal mechanism at increased cutting velocities when single point diamond machining brittle single crystal materials such as germanium or silicon. Ultra-precision diamond machining experiments will be performed at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte that are designed to explore the effect of increased cutting velocities on the governing cutting mechanics. The study will focus on 1) high speed diamond flycutting, 2) high speed orthogonal cutting using a fast tool servo to allow rapid tool withdrawal from the cut, and 3) ohmic contact cutting to explore the possibility of a material phase change. High bandwidth dynamic forces, chip morphology and changes in material phase, if any, will be quantified. The surface and subsurface of the machined specimens will be characterized by atomic force microscopy, channeling Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, Raman spectroscopy and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy to be performed at Oklahoma State University and Los Alamos National Laboratory.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.