Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Deformable Mirrorsfor High Energy Laser Applications

摘要

The Naval Research Laboratory has been involved in developing Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer(CFRP) optical and structural components for the upgrade of the Naval Prototype Optical Interferometer.In this program we have developed a first 16" prototype telescope all in CFRP and are now developing a1.4 meter telescope also composed entirely of CFRP. Within this framework we have startedinvestigating the development of deformable mirrors using this material. In this paper we will presentsome background information on CFRP material for optical applications, and especially results on ourCFRP telescope development efforts. We also present results on the deformable mirror development.Experimental results on energy density threshold tests will be presented. The overall status of theprogram is discussed and immediate future developments are explored.