TECHNOLOGY/BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Deterministic method to adjust glass optic form using controlled laser melting

Opportunity: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), operated by the Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS), LLC under contract no. DE-AC52-07NA27344 (Contract 44) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is offering the opportunity to enter into a collaboration to further develop and commercialize its Deterministic method to adjust glass optic form using controlled laser melting.

Background: The optical fabrication industry has been seeking cost effective methods of fabricating glass optics that avoid the centuries old labor-intensive traditional grinding and polishing processes. Traditional techniques are not predictable enough and as a result, optical fabricators resort to time consuming trial and error approaches.

Description: This invention proposes to use laser induced melting/softening to locally reshape the form of a glass optic. The local glass densification that results induces predictable stresses that through plate deformation mechanics yield a deterministic methodology for arbitrarily reshaping an optic surface figure and wavefront without the need to remove material.

Advantages/Benefits: The principal advantages of this invention are:

Deterministic methodology for arbitrarily reshaping glass optics. Ability to reshape spherical, planar, or other arbitrary shaped glass optics. Ability to correct arbitrary optic surface figure and wavefront aberrations. Ability to reshape an optic without removing material. Low cost and less time consuming than traditional optical finishing techniques.

Potential Applications: Reshaping spherical, planar, or other arbitrary shaped glass optics. Correcting arbitrary optic surface figure and wavefront aberrations. Reshape an optic without removing material.

Development Status: Current stage of technology development: TRL 4-5 LLNL has filed for patent protection on this invention. U.S. Patent Application No. 2022/0176495 System and Method for Radius of Curvature Modification of Optical Plates and Lenses by Irradiation with Optical Energy published 6/9/2022 LLNL is seeking industry partners with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market.

Moving critical technology beyond the Laboratory to the commercial world helps our licensees gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. All licensing activities are conducted under policies relating to the strict nondisclosure of company proprietary information. Please visit the IPO website at https://ipo.llnl.gov/resources for more information on working with LLNL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process.

Note: THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT. Companies interested in commercializing LLNL's Deterministic method to adjust glass optic form using controlled laser melting should provide an electronic OR written statement of interest, which includes the following:

Company Name and address. The name, address, and telephone number of a point of contact. A description of corporate expertise and/or facilities relevant to commercializing this technology. Please provide a complete electronic OR written statement to ensure consideration of your interest in LLNL's Deterministic method to adjust glass optic form using controlled laser melting . The subject heading in an email response should include the Notice ID and/or the title of LLNL’s Technology/Business Opportunity and directed to the Primary and Secondary Point of Contacts listed below. Written responses should be directed to:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Innovation and Partnerships Office P.O.

Box 808, L-779 Livermore, CA 94551-0808 Attention: IL-13599