Performance of present and planned space-borne remote sensing instruments could be significantly improved by the incorporation of thermally stable optical coatings. We propose to investigate the use of ion-assisted deposition (IAD) in the fabrication of large area narrowband interference filters which are uniform to within 2 Angstroms. Issues such as effect of the ion beam on uniformity, in situ measurement of uniformity, and control of the key parameters will be addressed.The proposed project will have a very strong impact on both government and private sector commercial applications for two reasons: (1) long life, thermally stable, large aperture optical filters will be available for the first time, and (2) a reduction in cost for smaller aperture, durable filters will be realized as the usable area is increased in a given run.Interference filters, large aperture optics, thermally stable coatings, space-borne opticsPhase 2 conversion
