The objective of this SBIR Phase I effort is to develop an innovative fabrication method to produce high IR transmission and hardness aspheric window, which includes following major efforts: First, a unique composite ceramic material will be developed, which not only is highly transparent over a broad visible-to-IR spectral range (compatible to ZnS and CaF2), but also has a much higher strength and hardness than that of ZnS and CaF2. Second, a novel low cost manufacturing process will be developed, which can be used to fabricate the complex shape aspheric window based on our proposed transparent composite ceramics at low cost. Third, the performance of the fabricated aspheric composite ceramic window will be thoroughly investigated. The major optical, thermal, and mechanical properties such as transmittance, refractive index, mechanical strength, the thermal expansion coefficients will be quantitatively measured. A 3
Benefit: The successful completion of this proposed research project represents a major technological breakthrough in fabrication of high durability IR transmitting materials because it provides not only a feasible fabricating method but also at lower cost due to the fast processing speed and greatly reduced post-grinding/polishing work. It will have great impacts on a variety of military and civilian applications such as aircraft and missile domes, transparent armor, and IR windows.
Keywords: Aspheric window, Aspheric window, TRANSPARENT CERAMICS, Low cost manufacturing, IR optics, Composite Ceramics, missile dome
