Ultraprecision grinding of optical materials for high-power lasers

Yoshiharu Namba; Kunio Yoshida; Hidetsugu Yoshida; Sadao Nakai

doi:10.1117/12.307042

20 April 1998 Ultraprecision grinding of optical materials for high-power lasers

Yoshiharu Namba, Kunio Yoshida, Hidetsugu Yoshida, Sadao Nakai

Proceedings Volume 3244, Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 1997; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.307042
Event: Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 1997, 1997, Boulder, CO, United States

Abstract

Grinding is considered to be a rough machining process in the field of optics; a polishing process must follow the grinding process for getting optical-quality surfaces. An ultraprecision surface grinder with hydrostatic oil bearings and a glass-ceramic spindle of extremely low thermal expansion was developed to get smooth optical surfaces without any polishing process. Various optical materials such as NbF1, BK7, LHG08 fused silica, KTP, KDP and CLBO were ground into optical surfaces after empirically determining the conditions required to attain ductile-mode grinding. An extremely smooth surface less than 0.1 nm rms was obtained on BK7 glass by the ultraprecision grinding process. The laser-induced damage threshold was measured on variously finished LHG-8 laser glass at (lambda) equals 1.053 micrometers and 1-ns pulse width. The damage threshold was measured at 22.2 J/cm² on a ground surface with the polarization parallel to the grinding direction. This number is higher than that obtained by optical polish. The damage threshold of 293 J/cm² was also obtained on a ground LHG-8 glass surface at (lambda) equals 1.053 micrometers and 30-ns pulse width.

Citation Download Citation

Yoshiharu Namba, Kunio Yoshida, Hidetsugu Yoshida, and Sadao Nakai "Ultraprecision grinding of optical materials for high-power lasers", Proc. SPIE 3244, Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 1997, (20 April 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.307042

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available