Optical Surfaces Ltd. has received an order from Diamond Light Source Ltd. (Didcot, UK) to supply high precision optical components including a spherical convex mirror and on-axis parabolic mirror. These mirrors will form key components for transporting all the available flux from the Diamond Synchrotron Diagnostic beamline due to go live in March 2011.
The Diamond Light Source is the UK's national synchrotron facility. Located in South Oxfordshire, it generates brilliant beams of light, from infra-red to X-rays, which are used in a wide range of applications, from structural biology through fundamental physics and chemistry to cultural heritage.
Cyrille Thomas, Diagnostic Group Senior Scientist, commented "Our overall project goal was to improve the existing Diamond Diagnostics Beamline to provide more of the available flux over a larger bandwidth, from 400-800 nm to 250-800 nm. The new design will produce an expected increase in flux of the order of 14, and the coating should improve it a further factor 2 to 5. This improvement in performance requires an improved control and alignment system, but the gain in power is worth it because it extends our measurement range in particular at low stored current for beam dynamics studies".
He added "After reviewing potential suppliers we chose Optical Surfaces Ltd to produce the critical on-axis parabolic and sperical convex mirrors for our beamline control and alignment system because we trusted OSL to deliver this high quality optical system". "After testing the system on a bench it showed it to be well within specification, matching almost perfectly the ZEMAX model".
Using proprietary production techniques, Optical Surfaces' skilled craftsmen have produced one concave on-axis parabolic mirrors with a surface accuracy better than lambda/13 P-V, and a convex spherical mirror with a surface accuracy better than lambda/20 P-V. The excellent surface accuracy achieved during manufacturing together with the exceptional high reflectivity coatings will enable Diamond to achieve the high optical performance and efficiency required by their application. The optics were manufactured in Zerodur and coated using a special type high performance UV-Silver coating suitable for high reflectivity (R>98%) throughout the wavelength range between 350-800nm.
Optical Surfaces Ltd has been producing optical components and systems for more than 45 years and is now accepted as one of the world's leading manufacturers of high-precision optics for symchrotron research facilities. The company's ISO 9001-2000 approved manufacturing workshops and test facilities are deep underground in a series of tunnels excavated in solid chalk where temperature remains constant and vibration is practically non-existent. With such stable conditions testing, particularly with long path lengths, becomes quantifiable and reliable. Working with these natural advantages is a highly skilled team of craftsmen with a commitment to excellence in both product quality and customer service.