Diamond Turning - Opening a New Laser Design Door.

Abstract : This paper will be of special interest to those wanting to find out about diamond turning. The history and development of diamond turning is reviewed including personal insights from being with the technology from its earliest stages. Applications which have demonstrated the unique capabilities and accuracies for difficult geometries are given. The state-of-the-art review includes accuracies, sizes, and weights. Developing diamond turning production capabilities and the impact of the DOD Manufacturing Technology Transfer program is summarized. Rules of thumb and insights into when diamond turning or other optical fabrication techniques should be used are also given. Future laser resonators may depend on diamond turning for axicon, reflaxicon, and waxicons. DARPA sponsored Large Optics Diamond Turning Machine (LODTM) is summarized. LODTM will have a capacity for 1.6 m diameter parts to be machined to 2.0 u (500 A) rms figure accuracy.