Innovation at Optimax

Rapid prototyping capabilities in designing and producing optical coatings to support the ultrafast market.

In addition to tradeoffs between mirror reflectivity, wavefront, laser-damage threshold, and cost, new low-stress coatings offer weight, geometry, and thermomechanical performance and design flexibility.  

Lens design software analyzes optical tolerances by modeling a perturbed optical system to capture the effect of simultaneous changes in manufacturing and alignment errors.

Freeform optics are typically fabricated using sub-aperture tool grinding and polishing. This polishing method requires a detailed understanding of the local material removal (tool influence function or TIF) at the …

The use of high-power continuous wave (CW) lasers in the emerging directed energy (DE) market has put greater emphasis on the quality of optical coatings.

Optical fabrication of freeform lightweight mirrors often results in mid-spatial frequency (MSF) and/or surface quilting surface errors.

The freeform monolithic multi-surface telescope design has all its off-axis optical surfaces manufactured from a single optical blank, resulting in truly monolithic telescope design, providing improvements in stability and payload.

This paper briefly tells the story of the importance of metrology in optics fabrication at Optimax, and highlights Wyko and Jim Wyant’s contribution to early Optimax success.

Optimax has developed the HERMES (High-End Robotic MSF Elimination System) a robotic platform that uses a machine learning algorithm to smooth parts. Results indicate that HERMES fared well compared to …

There is a potential need for large (>500 mm diameter) conformal windows for use on air, space, and watercraft.

Optimax uses a variety of 3D printers to streamline our manufacturing processes. Download our technical paper today to learn about our results. 

Freeform optical systems are becoming increasingly common due to new design and manufacturing methods. We present an example compact freeform optical system and describe considerations for transfer of the prescription …

Monolithic multi-surface telescopes combined with freeform optical surfaces provide improvements in optical performance in a smaller footprint as compared to systems with spherical surfaces, while providing superior mechanical stability to …

This paper will present some of the challenges and solutions of extending freeform polishing capabilities from approximately 150 mm diameter parts to a component of over 500 mm in diameter.

Several challenges associated with part size and shape complexity were solved during the manufacture of the largest extreme freeform shape Optimax has fabricated to date.

Freeform optics have emerged as a new tool for optical designers and integrators. Manufacturing innovations are gradually increasing availability of precision freeform optics.

As U.S. manufacturing works to overcome a technical skills gap, apprenticeships are gaining favor as a post-secondary educational path.

Completing our suite of deposition equipment, we are developing a new Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS) System with different substrate configurations.

Optical designers assume a mathematically derived statistical distribution of the relevant design parameters. However, there may be significant differences between the assumed distributions and the likely outcomes from manufacturing. 

Sapphire poses very difficult challenges to optical manufacturers due to its high hardness and anisotropic properties. These challenges can result in long lead times and high prices. Optimax is developing …

Optimax has developed a fabrication process that not only reduces cost but also aids in producing spherical sapphire components to better figure quality. 

The optical axis of a spherical lens is the axis passing through the two centers of curvature of the optical surfaces. It is such a simple thing to describe. However, …

Space can be a harsh environment for optical coatings. Optimax has successfully provided antireflection (AR) coatings for a wide range of space applications.

Every optical application requires a “clean” optical surface. However, what defines “clean” is subjective and is based on the needs of the application.  

There are many decisions to make when designing, specifying, manufacturing, and testing optical components for high-energy laser systems — each is a potential failure mechanism that must be understood and …

Optimax has developed a novel optical coating (OTR‐AR). OTR coatings have been demonstrated to provide excellent resistance to latent scratching, staining and dimming of chemically sensitive optical glass surfaces in …

Optimax has developed a robust freeform optical fabrication CNC process that includes generation, high speed VIBE polishing, sub-aperture figure correction, surface smoothing and testing of freeform surfaces.

Design, specification, and procurement of optical coatings all benefit when the designer has a good understanding of measurement techniques and uncertainties.

The cost of lenses is strongly dependent on the difference between the specified tolerances and the limits of the optics manufacturer, the coater, and the metrologist. 

Cylinder manufacturing methods can influence specification, offering recommendations on what to consider when designing cylindrical optical components to minimize cost and allow for greater flexibility in manufacturing. 

This paper is an introduction to the specification and tolerancing of Mid-spatial frequency (MSF) ripple or waviness.

The concept for polishing optical elements with a process called VIBE is presented, application to non uniformly sloped optics such as aspheric shapes is detailed, and initial results on spherical …

The similarities and differences between tolerancing, manufacturing, and measuring spherical and aspheric surfaces are important.

One design strategy for an optical system is centering two or more lenses together to build a lens assembly. However, strain in excess may cause delamination or fracture of the …

Selecting the material from which a lens is made is a fundamental design consideration. In certain situations, a substitute or equivalent material may need to be identified depending on the …

This paper will define surface irregularity for spherical surfaces, offer information on measurement methods for testing surface irregularities, and some specification guidelines.

There are two main paths for tolerancing spherical radii: power tolerance and linear radius tolerance. Both measure change relative to a nominal value, but the metrology used is the key …

Mechanical attribute tolerances can be a major cost driver because of time and yield penalties added to fabrication of a lens. Dimensions and their tolerances are interrelated, so designers need …

Centration errors arise from deviation from superposition. In a perfectly centered lens, the mechanical and optical axes are concurrent and coincidental, superimposed on each other.  

There are many topics to consider during aspheric lens design, including geometrical restrictions that hinder producing particular aspheric shapes. Understanding these restrictions will help drive costs. 

This paper will first detail where slope error originated from, what it represents and the role it plays in the optical performance.

This paper examines the role surface roughness plays in optical system performance, discusses the components of a surface roughness specification, and contrasts roughness with cosmetic defects.

Freeform optical systems are becoming increasingly common due to new design and manufacturing methods. We present an example compact freeform optical system and describe considerations for transfer of the prescription …

Optimax improved the reliability of asphere polishing platforms at a demonstrated level. Download our technical paper today to learn about our results.

Optimax Systems, Inc., a leader in quick delivery prototype optics, has been manufacturing aspheric lenses for more than 20 years. Along the way, we have learned many lessons and provide …

Recent design methods and software advances make it much easier to design aspheric surfaces that actually work in production and test by considering manufacturability issues at the earliest possible stage …

A basic survey of specifying aspheric forms, function and manufacturing and testing