United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

John G Gowan

Roy A Hamil

Keith R Shillito

A method for replicating laser mirror surfaces is described which comprises careful preparation, as, for example, by single point diamond turning, on a master block, of a master surface having the contour corresponding to the desired laser mirror surface, vapor depositing onto the master surface a thin metallic layer, and vapor depositing the laser mirror faceplate material to the desired thickness. The selected master block material has a coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch with that of the deposited faceplate material so that the master block shrinks and separates away from the deposited faceplate upon cooldown from the vapor deposition temperature.

Replication of high power laser mirrors

An improved laser mirror and heat exchanger and method of fabrication is described which comprises, in a preferred embodiment thereof, a carbon/carbon fiber matrix substrate having deposited thereon a transitional composition layer of carbon and tungsten carbide, and one or more layers of tungsten or tungsten carbide. These layers define a desired network of coolant passageways formed by depositing a low melting point material, such as antimony, in a raised pattern and thereover depositing the tungsten-containing layer, and subsequently melting out the low melting point material. The tungsten-containing layer may then be polished on the exposed surface to a laser mirror finish.

Laser mirror and method of fabrication

An improved optical diffraction grating for high power laser systems is described which comprises a disk or wafer of suitable material, such a single crystal silicon, having on one side thereof the desired grating lines and pattern, the other side thereof abutting the surface of the heat exchanger or other supporting substructure and being held thereon by vacuum means.

Replaceable diffraction gratings for cooled laser optics

An improved heat exchanger for high energy laser mirrors is provided which comprises one or more sections each hot pressed into a desired configuration to define coolant passageways, and subsequently stacked and joined by a suitable means such as diffusion bonding. A surface of one of the sections may either support a laser mirror faceplate or be finished to provide the desired laser mirror surface.

Hot pressed and diffusion bonded laser mirror heat exchanger

An improved high energy laser (HEL) mirror is provided wherein the internal surfaces of the molybdenum structure of the mirror defining passageways for water coolant flow are plated with a substantially continuous coating of tungsten by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques described by the invention herein. The mirror is thereby made resistant to the corrosive action of the circulating coolant water on the molybdenum structure comprising the laser mirror.

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London, United Kingdom

John G Gowan