Super-polished Freeforms Optical Systems (SFOS) for industry and nuclear fusion

该提案面临制造挑战，这些挑战限制了复杂（“自由形状”）光学表面正在进行的革命，这些有希望的激进性能改进，但组件更少。我们主要专注于解决全球缺乏纳米级精确，超光滑自由形状的能力，1)可以承受高激光功率，2)满足其他应用中出现的挑战，特别是下一代半导体光刻技术。我们以激光聚变（美国国家点火设施，NIF）为例，该技术承诺几乎无限的能量，但需要总体简化-关键之一是自由形式光学。因此，该项目面对关键的社会需求，包括可持续制造、大数据和“绿色”能源。我们的行业/研究联盟拥有解决这一问题的专业知识和设施，开发出独特的商业制造解决方案。在知识产权保护之后，项目产出将得到广泛传播。在这样做的过程中，我们的目标是：(i)在未来5年内需要转向自由曲面的全球最佳制造和服务市场中占据4%（24亿美元）的份额；（ii）为7000家英国公司建立新的供应链机会；（iii）为英国的光学自由曲面设计和制造创造一个新的、具有全球竞争力的创新生态系统。

This Proposal confronts manufacturing challenges that constrict the on-going revolution in complex ('freeform') optical surfaces, these promising radical performance-improvements, yet with fewer components. We focus primarily on resolving the lack of worldwide capability for nano-scale-accurate, super-smooth freeforms that i) can survive high laser-powers, and ii) meet emerging challenges in other applications, especially next-generation semiconductor photolithography. We take laser-fusion (US National Ignition Facility, NIF) as an example, the technology promising almost limitless energy, but requiring gross simplification -- one of the keys is free-form optics. The project thereby confronts key societal needs incl. sustainable manufacture, Big Data and 'green' energy. Our industry/research consortium has the expertise and facilities to tackle this head on, developing a unique commercial manufacturing solution. After IP protection, project outputs will then be widely disseminated. In doing so, our ambitions are to: (i) capture 4% ($2.4Bn) of the global optimal manufacturing and services market that will need to move to freeforms in the next 5 years, and (ii) establish a new supply chain opportunity for 7000 UK companies and (iii) create a new, globally competitive innovation ecosystem for optical freeform design and manufacture in the United Kingdom.