We present a spacecraft and payload system design of a UV space telescope on a ∼130kg micro-satellite mission with a moderately fast repointing capability and near real-time alert communication. The mission, called Quick Ultra-Violet Kilonova surveyor – QUVIK, shall measure the brightness evolution of kilonovae, resulting from mergers of neutron stars simultaneously in the near-UV and far-UV band and thus it shall distinguish between different explosion scenarios. As a secondary objective the mission will also provide unique follow-up capabilities for other transients both in the near- and far-UV bands. The mission was selected for implementation by an ambitious Czech national mission program to promote the development of Czech science and space technology.
N. Werner, J. Řípa, F. Münz, F. Hroch, M. Jelínek, J. Krtička, M. Zajaček, M. Topinka, V. Dániel, J. Gromeš, J. Václavík, L. Steiger, V. Lédl, J. Seginak, J. Benáček, J. Budaj, N. Faltová, R. Gális, D. Jadlovský, J. Janík, M. Kajan, V. Karas, D. Korčáková, M. Kosiba, I. Krtičková, J. Kubát, B. Kubátová, P. Kurfürst, M. Labaj, Z. Mikulášek, A. Pál, E. Paunzen, M. Piecka, M. Prišegen, T. Ramezani, M. Skarka, G. Szász, C. Thöne, M. Zejda
We present a proposal for a near-UV space telescope on a ∼70kg micro-satellite with a moderately fast repointing capability and a near real-time alert communication system that has been proposed in response to a call for an ambitious Czech national mission. The mission, which has recently been approved for Phase 0, A, and B1 study shall measure the brightness evolution of kilonovae, resulting from mergers of neutron stars in the near-UV band and thus it shall distinguish between different explosion scenarios. Between the observations of transient sources, the satellite shall perform observations of other targets of interest, a large part of which will be chosen in open competition.
We explore causes and possible techniques to minimize shape deformation of high-precision monocrystalline calcium fluoride optical surface formed during thermal annealing. Due to the anisotropic mechanical properties of calcium fluoride crystals, machining of lens shapes introduces defects into the crystal lattice. The thermal annealing thus leads to activation of the processes of recovery, resulting in the formation of characteristic surface structures causing both shape error and increased microroughness. The surface deformation can be gradually minimized by thermal treatment of the optical element and subsequent polishing steps to the order of units of nanometers, so they do not represent a fundamental problem for optical performance.
Demonstrator of remote sensing system based on an uncooled LWIR hyperspectral imager was designed. This paper describes design of its optical part which is a hyperspectral imager in a spectral range of 7.5-12 um with a 40°×20° field of view. The hyperspectral imaging system is push-broom type based on an imaging spectrometer with transmission grating. Emphasis during design of optical subsystem was placed on future commercial production and usability in the field, thus focused on manufacturability, robustness and reduction of complexity. The optical subsystem was reduced down to 6 aspherical elements, of which one caries the spherical diffraction grating. The use of spherical grating improved manufacturability but introduced aberrations, which were not fully compensated by limited amount of optical elements. The final optomechanical design has an envelope of a 230×80×80 mm. A length of the optical subsystem is 160 mm.
Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) is widely used for its ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties, which are conditioned by perovskite structure. Crystallization into this desired phase is determined also by a proper stoichiometry, where the lead concentration is a crucial parameter. The crystallization process takes place during annealing under high temperatures, which is linked to heavy lead losses, so the lead has to be in excess. Therefore, this paper is devoted to the control of chemical composition of PZT thin films deposited via ion beam sputtering (IBS). A commonly used approach for IBS relies on employing a multicomponent target to obtain films with the same composition as that of the target. However, in the case of PZT it is favorable to have the ability to controllably change the chemical composition of thin films in order to acquire high perovskite content. Our study revealed that the determinative lead content in PZT layers prepared by simple and dual ion-beam deposition from a multicomponent target can be easily controlled by the power of primary ion source. At the same time, the composition is also dependent on the substrate temperature and the power of assistant ion source. Thin PZT films with more than 30 % lead excess were acquired from a stoichiometric multicomponent target (i.e. a target without any lead excess). We can therefore propose several possible sets of deposition parameters suitable for the PZT deposition via IBS to obtain high perovskite content.
Compressed sensing (CS) is a branch of computational optics able to reconstruct an image (or any other information) from a reduced number of measurements – thus significantly saving measurement time. It relies on encoding the detected information by a random pattern and consequent mathematical reconstruction. CS can be the enabling step to carry out imaging in many time-consuming measurements. The critical step in CS experiments is the method to invoke encoding by a random mask. Complex devices and relay optics are commonly used for the purpose. We present a new approach of creating the random mask by using laser speckles from coherent laser light passing through a diffusor. This concept is especially powerful in laser spectroscopy, where it does not require any complicated modification of the current techniques. The main advantage consist in the unmatched simplicity of the random pattern generation and a versatility of the pattern resolution. Unlike in the case of commonly used random masks, here the pattern fineness can be adjusted by changing the laser spot size being diffused. We demonstrate the pattern tuning together with the connected changes in the pattern statistics. In particular, the issue of patterns orthogonality, which is important for the CS applications, is discussed. Finally, we demonstrate on a set of 200 acquired speckle patterns that the concept can be successfully employed for single-pixel camera imaging. We discuss requirements on detector noise for the image reconstruction.
Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) is a ferroelectric material interesting for its high dielectric constant and piezoelectric response. PZT thin films can be prepared by various methods, e.g. pulsed laser deposition, chemical vapor deposition, sol-gel and, most frequently, sputtering. Though the magnetron sputtering is used more frequently, PZT thin films can be prepared also by ion-beam sputtering (IBS). In this paper we study the deposition process of PZT thin films in our IBS system with a possibility of ion-beam assisted deposition (IBAD), which has the advantage that more energy can be added to the growing layer. We show how in our system the resulting layers, mainly their quality, the Pb content, which is important for the creation of the perovskite crystal structure, and the resulting crystal structure are influenced by the oxygen flux during the deposition for the samples grown on the silicon substrate with and without an intermediate Ti seeding layer.
Spectrum of light which is emitted or reflected by an object carries immense amount of information about the object. A simple piece of evidence is the importance of color sensing for human vision. Combining an image acquisition with efficient measurement of light spectra for each detected pixel is therefore one of the important issues in imaging, referred as hyperspectral imaging. We demonstrate a construction of a compact and robust hyperspectral camera for the visible and near-IR spectral region. The camera was designed vastly based on off-shelf optics, yet an extensive optimization and addition of three customized parts enabled construction of the camera featuring a low f-number (F/3.9) and fully concentric optics. We employ a novel approach of compressed sensing (namely coded aperture snapshot spectral imaging, abbrev. CASSI). The compressed sensing enables to computationally extract an encoded hyperspectral information from a single camera exposition. Owing to the technique the camera lacks any moving or scanning part, while it can record the full image and spectral information in a single snapshot. Moreover, unlike the commonly used compressed sensing table-top apparatuses, the camera represents a portable device able to work outside a lab. We demonstrate the spectro-temporal reconstruction of recorded scenes based on 90×90 random matrix encoding. Finally, we discuss potential of the compressed sensing in hyperspectral camera.
This paper deals with optical losses in the coatings consisting of a combination of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) layers evaporated by the ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD). This combination is commonly used for optical coatings as a standard choice for antireflective or any other optical filter in the visible and near IR range. Although the technology has been known for decades, we point out that some undescribed parasite losses can still appear and we show how to deal with them. In fact, in some cases, the losses made the target coating even inapplicable. In this paper we try to investigate the origin of the losses and we describe the deposition parameters which allow us to reduce or completely remove them. We determined whether the losses are proportional to the total thickness of the coating or to the number of layers. The influence of scattering was measured as well. Deposition parameters which were studied are the substrate temperature, discharge voltage of the assisting ion gun, oxygen flow of the assisting ion gun and the deposition rate, especially its starting curve. Influence of the post process annealing was studied as well. Starting curve of the deposition rate of SiO2 layer and the amount of oxygen flowing through the assisting ion gun were found as a crucial parameters.
This paper deals with the development of a broadband antireflective coating for a special optical components for the NEOSTED project by European Space Agency (ESA). The aim of this work was to find a suitable design of the optical coating and to develop its production process so it meets the main requirement in which the average reflectance of the coating must be under 0.5 % for wavelengths in the range of 470 - 770 nm. The combination of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) prepared by the ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) was chosen for practical experiments and finally for the production as well. The final decision among the proposed designs and materials involved especially the number of layers used in the design in combination with the thickness control technology. From preproduction tests it turned out that the quartz monitor with the thickness set point correction based on a post process measurement is suitable for controlling deposited thickness in the application. This paper presents data from the preproduction tests and data from the first part of the production. A homogeneity of the deposited layer thickness was evaluated based on the measurement of the thickness across the sample.
Thin films of silicon dioxide (SiO2) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) for application in precision optics prepared via the solgel route are being investigated in this paper. The sol-gel process presents a low cost approach, which is capable of tailoring thin films of various materials in optical grade quality. Both SiO2 and TiO2 are materials well known for their application in the field of anti-reflective and also highly reflective optical coatings. For precision optics purposes, thickness control and high quality of such coatings are of utmost importance. In this work, thin films were deposited on microscope glass slides substrates using the dip-coating technique from a solution based on alkoxide precursors of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and titanium isopropoxide (TIP) for SiO2 and TiO2, respectively. As-deposited films were studied using spectroscopic ellipsometry to determine their thickness and refractive index. Using a semi-empirical equation, a relationship between the coating speed and the heat-treated film thickness was described for both SiO2 and TiO2 thin films. This allows us to control the final heat-treated thin film thickness by simply adjusting the coating speed. Furthermore, films’ surface was studied using the white-light interferometry. As-prepared films exhibited low surface roughness with the area roughness parameter Sq being on average of 0.799 nm and 0.33 nm for SiO2 and TiO2, respectively.
We report on the development and implementation of the digital holographic tomography for the three-dimensio- nal (3D) observations of the domain patterns in the ferroelectric single crystals. Ferroelectric materials represent a group of materials, whose macroscopic dielectric, electromechanical, and elastic properties are greatly in uenced by the presence of domain patterns. Understanding the role of domain patterns on the aforementioned properties require the experimental techniques, which allow the precise 3D measurements of the spatial distribution of ferroelectric domains in the single crystal. Unfortunately, such techniques are rather limited at this time. The most frequently used piezoelectric atomic force microscopy allows 2D observations on the ferroelectric sample surface. Optical methods based on the birefringence measurements provide parameters of the domain patterns averaged over the sample volume. In this paper, we analyze the possibility that the spatial distribution of the ferroelectric domains can be obtained by means of the measurement of the wavefront deformation of the transmitted optical wave. We demonstrate that the spatial distribution of the ferroelectric domains can be determined by means of the measurement of the spatial distribution of the refractive index. Finally, it is demonstrated that the measurements of wavefront deformations generated in ferroelectric polydomain systems with small variations of the refractive index provide data, which can be further processed by means of the conventional tomographic methods.
This paper presents a method that simultaneously deals with drawbacks of time-average digital holography: limited measurement range, limited spatial resolution, and quantitative analysis of the measured Bessel fringe patterns. When the frequency of the reference wave is shifted by an integer multiple of frequency at which the object oscillates, the measurement range of the method can be shifted either to smaller or to larger vibration amplitudes. In addition, phase modulation of the reference wave is used to obtain a sequence of phase-modulated fringe patterns. Such fringe patterns can be combined by means of phase-shifting algorithms, and amplitudes of vibrations can be straightforwardly computed. This approach independently calculates the amplitude values in every single pixel. The frequency shift and phase modulation are realized by proper control of Bragg cells and therefore no additional hardware is required.
In this paper we propose a time average digital holographical arrangement employing frequency shift of reference wave and its phase modulation. It results in Phase Modulated Frequency Shifted Time Average Digital Holography PMFSTADH method. This method has a potential to extend currently using frequency shifted time average digital holography to possibility of numerical analysis. It is primarily useful for measurement of great or very small amplitudes of vibration. Moreover we use acusto-optical modulators to realize frequency as well as phase modulation so we need no additional hardware in our experimental setup.
KEYWORDS: Diffraction gratings, Optical design, Diffraction, Germanium, Black bodies, Finite element methods, Hyperspectral imaging, Long wavelength infrared, Single point diamond turning, Diamond machining
Hyperspectral imaging as an instrument for obtaining a wide range of information on the world around us is a fast developing area of modern technology. In such systems, the desired information is obtained via the processing of stored spectral information of a measured scene. One of the main advantages of hyperspectral imaging over conventional imaging methods is the use of a broad spectral range, which is not restricted to just the visible range but can extend to adjacent regions and further, for example, deeply into the infrared region. The main element in such hyperspectral systems is the spectral separating system, which can be based on a wide variety of spectral dependent physical processes - birefringence, refraction, diffraction, etc. In this contribution, we would like to present the design and fabrication process of such a spectral separating system based on diffraction grating. The main requirements for this system were - operation in the long-wavelength infrared region (LWIR, 7-14 um), the highest possible diffraction efficiency in this spectral region with respect to the black body radiation of a temperature of 350 K, and the avoidance of restrictions inherent to fabrication. The design was carried out with the use of Scalar theory of transmission gratings, which is based on the idea of thin grating. The obtained results were compared to the designs produced via the Rigorous coupled wave theory (RCWA) and Finite Element Method (FEM). Fabrication of the designed grating was done in germanium with the use of single-point diamond turning.
Affordable, long-wave infrared hyperspectral imaging calls for use of an uncooled FPA with high-throughput optics. This paper describes the design of the optical part of a stationary hyperspectral imager in a spectral range of 7–14 um with a field of view of 20°×10°. The imager employs a push-broom method made by a scanning mirror. High throughput and a demand for simplicity and rigidity led to a fully refractive design with highly aspheric surfaces and off-axis positioning of the detector array. The design was optimized to exploit the machinability of infrared materials by the SPDT method and a simple assemblage.
This paper deals with thin films of Hematite (Fe2O3) deposited by ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD). It describes variation of optical properties with deposition parameters, especially oxygen flow and deposition rate. Optimal deposition parameters for Fe2O3 thin film were identified with criterion of the highest possible refractive index and lowest absorption. Film properties were measured and modelled by spectroscopic ellipsometry. Design of Fabry-Perot interference filter was used as a case study to compare properties of a Fe2O3 and TiO2 as a high refractive index materials. The first design uses combination of TiO2 and SiO2 layers, which is considered as a standard solution. The second design consists of Fe2O3 and YF3 layers. Comparison of these two designs shows that the design with SiO2 and Fe2O3 has considerably lower layer count. Due to the fact that Fe2O3 has significant absorption in the visible spectra its use is limited to red and infrared wavelengths. The paper describes deposition of designed filter (Fe2O3 and YF3) and measurement of its properties. Measured data are compared with the design.
Classical mechano-chemical polishing is still a valuable technique, which gives unbeatable results for some types of optical surfaces. For example, optics for high power lasers requires minimized subsurface damage, very high cosmetic quality, and low mid spatial frequency error. One can hardly achieve this with use of subaperture polishing. The shape of the polishing tool plays a crucial role in achieving the required form of the optical surface. Often the shape of the polishing tool or pad is not known precisely enough during the manufacturing process. The tool shape is usually premachined and later is changed during the polishing procedure. An experienced worker could estimate the shape of the tool indirectly from the shape of the polished element, and that is why he can achieve the required shape in few reasonably long iterative steps. Therefore the lack of the exact tool shape knowledge is tolerated. Sometimes, this indirect method is not feasible even if small parts are considered. Moreover, if processes on machines like planetary (continuous) polishers are considered, the incorrect shape of the polishing pad could extend the polishing times extremely. Every iteration step takes hours. Even worse, polished piece could be wasted if the pad has a poor shape. The ability of the tool shape determination would be very valuable in those types of lengthy processes. It was our primary motivation to develop a contactless measurement method for large diffusive surfaces and demonstrate its usability. The proposed method is based on application of multiwavelength digital holographic interferometry with phase shift.
Gallium Phosphide (GaP) is widely used semiconductor material, but can be also used as a material for visible and infrared optical elements. Combination of its optical and mechanical properties such as high mechanical durability, transparency from visible to infrared wavelengths and high refractive index makes it very interesting material for design of high performance optical systems in NIR and MWIR. Manufacturing of optical elements for such wavelength ranges is shifting from traditional grinding and polishing techniques to a more versatile SPDT machining. It is therefore useful to employ SPDT in production of optical surfaces on GaP. As the GaP is similar to GaAs, but harder and more brittle, all all the problems already known for GaAs are present. Here we report results of experiments with SPDT machining of optical surfaces on GaP substrates and comparison with classical machining methods.
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