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- Hit the precision: a robot meter will help create optics for power plants in orbit
Hit the precision: a robot meter will help create optics for power plants in orbit
Russia has created a robotic system for checking the quality of optical surfaces — the most accurate in its class. It is able to detect defects in optical products — lenses, mirrors and other components of equipment that work with light — on a scale of fractions of nanometers. This accuracy is 2-2.5 times higher than its foreign counterparts. In addition, the device can operate in conditions of strong vibrations. The development makes it possible to develop fundamentally new technologies that require the highest measurement accuracy. For example, new-generation astrophysical observatories or space-based solar-mirror power plants capable of transmitting energy from orbit to Earth, experts say.
How to measure the smoothness of a surface
Scientists from the Bauman Moscow State Institute have developed an ultra—sensitive robot for quality control of optical products - lenses, mirrors and other components of technology that work with light. The measurement accuracy of the device is fractions of nanometers, which is comparable to the size of individual atoms. Such parameters, for example, are necessary for powerful astrophysical telescopes, navigation devices, solar-mirror power plants and other high-tech devices.
The system is a platform with two manipulators, the researchers explained. One of them holds the channel through which the laser beam is directed at the object. The second one is used to register the radiation reflected from the surface.
— Thus, measurements are carried out in a non-contact way. The surface is illuminated, and the reflected radiation contains information about it. This data is processed using special proprietary algorithms. The information obtained allows us to judge the properties and profile of the material," Dmitry Denisov, associate professor of the Department of Laser and Optoelectronic Systems, told Izvestia.
The complex, he specified, is capable of working with optical parts ranging in size from 30 mm to 2 m. At the same time, the measurement accuracy reaches 1.1 angstroms (1.1 × 10-1⁰ m), which is 2-2.5 times higher than the best world analogues.
To figuratively represent the sensitivity of the device, the expert noted, it is possible to compare its work with the detection of a 1 cm high wave surge on the surface of the Pacific Ocean.
— Modern technology has advanced so much that even such small defects can distort data. For example, a telescope that observes the Sun's corona should detect very weak magnetic storms. If the roughness on the surface of the main mirror is more than 0.5–1.1 nanometers, this will lead to measurement errors," Dmitry Denisov said.
According to him, the system uses lasers with wavelengths of 405 nm, 515 nm and 638 nm. These are the visible ranges of electromagnetic radiation. Switching between them allows you to increase the accuracy of measurements.
Another advantage of the complex, the scientist added, is its resistance to vibrations. This makes it possible to carry out measurements in production halls. In addition, the device allows you to distinguish between individual types of defects. For example, scratches, films, dirt, or molecular deposition. Such information is important in order to understand how to eliminate the shortcomings.
How to create solar-mirror power plants in orbit
According to Dmitry Denisov, the development is in demand for quality control of lenses, mirrors and other optical parts. Such components, in particular, are widely used in industrial equipment and medical devices. The new meters will also be useful in the process of creating telescopes and astrophysical observatories.
— Another important field of application is the verification of laser gyroscopes (devices for determining position in space). They are used in aviation, submarines, the oil industry and space systems for platform stabilization and precise orientation," the scientist said.
The beam in such a gyroscope makes tens of thousands of turns along the contour, he explained. Even slight roughness on the surface of the mirrors that form this contour leads to light scattering, which can lead to positioning errors.
Also, if you dream about it, the complex can help in the future to create space solar-mirror power plants that are capable of collecting solar energy in orbit and redirecting it to Earth, the scientist added.
— In the production of optical surfaces, achieving maximum smoothness is one of the main criteria. This is a technological and time-consuming task. However, achieving a scale of fractions of nanometers is too optimistic a statement. For most applications, a range of 40-50 nanometers is acceptable. But for special tasks, for example, in high—precision laser systems, a level of 2-3 nanometers is needed," Vladimir Patrikeev, head of the Astronomical and Space Optics Scientific and Production complex at Lytkarinsky Optical Glass Plant, told Izvestia.
Such precision is in demand, for example, in elements that interact with high energies, where the slightest defects can lead to the destruction of materials, he explained.
In general, the expert noted, it is impossible to create a technical device without a measuring instrument that surpasses it in accuracy. Therefore, the creation of a domestic high-precision measuring complex opens the way for domestic specialists to create new advanced technologies.
—High—precision production of optical components such as mirrors, lenses, plane parallel plates, light filters, etc. is in demand in a wide range of modern scientific fields, including optoelectronic data processing systems and quantum computing," commented Evgeny Zlokazov, Professor of the Department of Laser Physics at the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI.
However, quality control of optical products is often carried out either manually or requires the use of complex, hard-to-reach equipment, he added. These factors, on the one hand, lead to a slowdown in the production process, on the other — increase production costs. In this regard, developments like the MSTU device will help reduce the cost of high-tech products in our country and make them more competitive.
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