Michael P. Chrisp

Imaging Freeform Optical Systems Designed with NURBS Surfaces

Abstract. The designs of two imaging freeform systems using nonuniform rational basis-spline (NURBS) optical surfaces are described. The first system, a 10  deg×9  deg f/2 three-mirror anastigmat has four times higher spatial resolution over the image plane compared with the equivalent conventional rotational aspheric design, and 2.5 times higher resolution compared with a 10th-order XY polynomial freeform design. The mirrors for the NURBS freeform design have more than twice the asphericity than the conventional rotational and XY polynomial designs. In the second system, a Ritchey–Chretien telescope followed by a two-mirror NURBS freeform corrector is compared to a four-mirror Korsch telescope, for imaging to a visible-infrared imaging spectrometer. The freeform corrector design had 70% smaller spot sizes over the field and eliminated the large tertiary required in Korsch type design. Both of these NURBS freeform designs are possible due to a custom optical design code for fast accurate NURBS optimization, which now has parallel raytracing for thousands of NURBS grid points.

New freeform NURBS imaging design code

A new optical imaging design code for NURBS freeform surfaces is described, with reduced optimization cycle times due to its fast raytrace engine, and the ability to handle larger NURBS surfaces because of its improved optimization algorithms. This program, FANO (Fast Accurate NURBS Optimization), is then applied to an f/2 three mirror anastigmat design. Given the same optical design parameters, the optical system with NURBS freeform surfaces has an average r.m.s. spot size of 4 microns. This spot size is six times smaller than the conventional aspheric design, showing that the use of NURBS freeform surfaces can improve the performance of three mirror anastigmats for the next generation of smaller pixel size, larger format detector arrays.

Three Mirror Anastigmat Designed with NURBS Freeform Surfaces

Performance of the first three mirror anastigmat designed with NURBS freeform surfaces is presented, and a direct comparison is made with using surface shapes of conventional aspheres or Zernike polynomials.

Imaging with NURBS Freeform Surfaces

New developments in the application of NURBS freeform surfaces in imaging systems are described, including their implementation and initial results from next generation designs using the complex shapes that can be modeled. Article not available.

A novel imaging spectrometer form for the solar reflective spectral range for size, weight, and power limited applications

The intense development in imaging spectrometers and related technology has yielded systems that are highly performing. Current grating-based designs utilize focal plane arrays with aberrations controlled to a fraction of a detector element and low F-numbers for high étendue to maximize the signal to noise performance. Tailored grating facets using two or more blaze angles optimize the optical efficiency across the full 400-2500 nm solar reflective spectral range. Two commonly used forms, the Offner-Chrisp and Dyson designs, are adaptations of microlithographic projectors with a concave or convex mirror replaced by a shaped grating; maintain a high degree of spatial-spectral uniformity. These gratings are relatively difficult to manufacture using either e-beam lithography or diamond machining. The challenge for optical designers is to create optical forms with reduced size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements while maintaining high performance. We have focused our work in this area and are developing a breadboard prototype imaging spectrometer that covers the full VNIR/SWIR spectral range at 10 nm spectral sampling, has a large swath of 1500 spatial samples, and is compact. The current prototype is for an F/3.3 system that is 7 cm long with an 8 cm diameter with aberration control better than 0.1 pixel assuming an 18 μm pixel pitch. The form utilizes a catadioptric lens and a flat dual-blaze immersion grating. The flat grating simplifies manufacturing and we are currently exploring the manufacture of the grating through grayscale optical lithography where the entire pattern can be exposed at once without stitching errors.

Assembly, alignment and test of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) optical assemblies

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will carry four visible waveband, seven-element, refractive F/1.4 lenses, each with a 34 degree diagonal field of view. This paper describes the methods used for the assembly, alignment and test of the four flight optical assemblies. Prior to commencing the build of the four flight optical assemblies, a Risk Reduction Unit (RRU) was successfully assembled and tested [1]. The lessons learned from the RRU were applied to the build of the flight assemblies. The main modifications to the flight assemblies include the inking of the third lens element stray light mitigation, tighter alignment tolerances, and diamond turning for critical mechanical surfaces. Each of the optical assemblies was tested interferometrically and measured with a low coherence distance measuring interferometer (DMI) to predict the optimal shim thickness between the lens assembly and detector before -75°C environmental testing. In addition to individual test data, environmental test results from prior assemblies allow for the exploration of marginal performance differences between each of the optical assemblies.

Tolerancing, Alignment and Test of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) Optical Assembly

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will carry four visible waveband seven-element refractive f/1.4 lenses, each with a 34 degree diagonal field of view. This paper describes the tolerancing, assembly and alignment methods developed during the build of the TESS Risk Reduction Unit optical system. Lens assembly tolerances were derived from a sensitivity analysis using an image quality metric customized for mission performance. The optomechanical design consists of a two-stage lens housing that provides access for active alignment of each lens using a Trioptics OptiCentric measurement system. Thermal stresses and alignment shifts are mitigated by mounting the optics with cast RTV silicone spacers into individually aligned bezels, and custom fixtures were developed to aid in RTV bonding with reduced alignment error. The lens assembly was tested interferometrically over the field of view at room temperature and results were used to successfully predict lens performance and compensator adjustments and detector shim thickness for the -75C operational temperature and pressure.

Optical design of the camera for Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)

The optical design of the wide field of view refractive camera with a 34 degree diagonal field for the TESS payload is described. This fast f/1.4 cryogenic camera, operating at -75°C, has no vignetting for maximum light gathering within the size and weight constraints. Four of these cameras capture full frames of star images for photometric searches of planet crossings. The optical design evolution, from the initial Petzval design, takes advantage of Forbes aspheres to develop a hybrid design form. This maximizes the correction from the two aspherics resulting in a reduction of average spot size by sixty percent in the final design. An external long wavelength pass filter has been replaced by an internal filter coating on a lens to save weight, and has been fabricated to meet the specifications. The stray light requirements are met by an extended lens hood baffle design, giving the necessary off-axis attenuation.