Optic Technologies Enabling Fusion Ignition

Optical fabrication is the manufacture of optical elements such as passive optics--for example, lenses, transmission flats, mirrors, and prisms--and active optics--for example laser gain media, frequency converters, polarizers, and adaptive optics. Manufacturing next generation optics have been and will continue to be enablers for enhancing the performance of advance laser, imaging, and spectroscopy systems. During optical fabrication (which involves both grinding & polishing), complex mechanical & chemical interactions between the workpiece, lap/tool & slurry occur, and hence this has historically led to this field being more of an 'art' as opposed to being a 'science'. Over the past fifteen years, significant advances have been made in understanding the science of optical fabrication leading to processes that yield optics with improved surface figure, surface roughness, and surface quality (especially with respect to laser damage resistance). The recent scientific grand challenge achievement of nuclear fusion ignition at the Nation Ignition Facility (NIF) was enabled by monumental sets of advanced technologies in the areas of optics, targets, diagnostics, laser architecture, and high energy density physics computation.