Densi-melting effect for ultra-precision laser beam figuring with clustered overlapping technology at...

Area of Science:

• Optics Manufacturing
• Materials Science
• Laser Processing

Background:

• Ultra-precision figuring is crucial for advanced optics performance.
• Existing methods face challenges in full-spatial-frequency error convergence and stress management.
• Laser Beam Figuring (LBF) presents a promising alternative for high-precision surface control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate CO2 LBF for full-spatial-frequency error convergence with negligible stress.
• To investigate the physical mechanisms governing material behavior during LBF.
• To develop novel processing strategies for enhanced precision and efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Development and application of CO2 Laser Beam Figuring (LBF).
• Proposal and validation of a "densi-melting" effect to explain material behavior.
• Implementation of clustered overlapping processing with tool influence function (TIF) control.
• Experimental validation of simulated results across different pulse durations.

Main Results:

• Achieved significant reduction in form error (RMS from 0.009λ to 0.003λ) without compromising microscale and nanoscale roughness.
• Demonstrated effective control over material subsidence and surface smoothing through precise parameter management.
• Validated the "densi-melting" effect and clustered overlapping processing through experimental and simulation data.

Conclusions:

• CO2 LBF is a viable technology for achieving ultra-precision optical surfaces.
• The "densi-melting" effect provides a framework for understanding and controlling LBF processes.
• Clustered overlapping processing effectively suppresses laser scanning ripples and reduces data volume, enabling high-precision, low-cost optics manufacturing.