Optical components from micro-architected trusses

• US 9,086,229 B1
• Filed: 11/18/2011
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Roper, Christopher S., Carter, William B., Jacobsen, Alan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Hai
• Application Number:
  US13/300,543
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 428/315.5, 428/315.7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0827 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/02 for making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 23/82 characterised by the material or the construction of the reflector
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 30/40 for rotary movement
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 30/48 with three or more rotation axes or with multiple degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/02 in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes heat pipes used in solar heat collectors F24S10/95; in radiators F28D1/0226; in nuclear reactors G21C15/257
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/00 Constructions of heat-exchange apparatus characterised by the selection of particular materials coatings for modifying heat-transfer F28F13/18; coatings for preventing the formation of deposits or corrosion F28F19/02
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/005 made of photonic crystals or photonic band gap materials photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices in integrated optics G02B6/1225; photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices in optical fibres G02B6/02295
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12171 using a laser beam
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/1219 Polymerisation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/08 Mirrors vehicle mirrors involving special optical features B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0825 the reflecting layers comprising dielectric materials only
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking

Abstract

In accordance with various embodiments, a mirror structure is provided having a first face sheet having a mirror surface and a side opposite the mirror surface and a three-dimensional ordered cellular microtruss connected with the side opposite the mirror surface of the first face sheet.

Claims

1. A mirror structure comprising:

a) a first face sheet having an exterior facing mirror surface and a side opposite the exterior facing mirror surface;

b) three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses connected with the side opposite the exterior facing mirror surface of the first face sheet such that there is a continuous coating material extending from the three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses onto the face sheet;

c) wherein the three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses form an ordered network comprising a plurality of continuous interpenetrating microtruss members, each forming a plurality of nodes with other microtruss members, the plurality of microtruss members comprising at least one of;

(1) interconnected hollow tubular microtruss members;

or (2) interconnected solid microtruss members; and

d) wherein the ordered network comprises a plurality of first microtruss elements defined by a plurality of first self-propagating polymer waveguides extending along a first direction, a plurality of second microtruss elements defined by a plurality of second self-propagating polymer waveguides extending along a second direction, and a plurality of third microtruss elements defined by a plurality of third self-propagating polymer waveguides extending along a third direction, wherein the first, second, and third microtruss elements interpenetrate each other at a plurality of nodes to form a continuous material.

2. The mirror structure of claim 1 further comprising a second face sheet opposite the first face sheet, with the three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses therebetween.

3. The mirror structure of claim 2, wherein the second face sheet is connected to the three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses.

4. The mirror structure of claim 1, wherein the first face sheet and hollow tubular microtruss members comprise at least one of monocrystalline diamond, polycrystalline diamond, or nanocrystalline diamond.

5. The mirror structure of claim 1, wherein the microtruss members comprise at least one of monocrystalline diamond, polycrystalline diamond, or nanocrystalline diamond.

6. The mirror structure of claim 1 wherein the three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses are patterned into discrete cellular structures.

7. The mirror structure of claim 1 further comprising a gimbal apparatus, the mirror being mounted with the gimbal apparatus.

8. The mirror structure of claim 1, wherein the first face sheet and microtruss members comprise at least one of silicon carbide, glass, glass-ceramic, beryllium, or silica.

9. The mirror structure of claim 1, wherein the first face sheet and the truss members comprises different materials.

10. The mirror structure of claim 1, wherein the truss members are hollow tubular microtruss members comprising multilayer hollow tubular microtruss members comprised of layers of different materials.

11. The mirror structure of claim 1, wherein the first sheet comprises a composite material.

12. The mirror structure of claim 1, wherein the truss members are hollow tubular microtruss members comprising continuous open volume inside the three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses.

13. The mirror structure of claim 1, wherein the truss members are hollow tubular microtruss members comprising a shell material partially filled with an inner material within the shell material, and wherein the shell material and the inner material are continuous throughout the three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses.

14. The mirror structure of claim 1, wherein the microtruss members are solid microtruss members comprising multilayer solid microtruss members comprised of layers of different materials.

15. The mirror structure of claim 1, wherein the microtruss members are solid tubular microtruss members comprising a shell material partially filled with an inner material within the shell material, and wherein the shell material and the inner material are continuous throughout the three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses.

16. The mirror structure of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses are formed from a template comprising a plurality of microtruss struts interpenetrating each other at a plurality of nodes to form a continuous material.

17. A mirror structure comprising a plurality of mirror subcomponent structures constructed to be assembled as a part of a larger mirror structure, each mirror subcomponent structure comprising:

a) a first face sheet having an exterior facing mirror surface and a side opposite the exterior facing mirror surface;

b) three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses connected with the side opposite the exterior facing mirror surface of the first face sheet;

c) wherein the three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses form an ordered network comprising a plurality of continuous interpenetrating microtruss members, each forming a plurality of nodes with other microtruss members, such that there is a continuous coating material extending from the three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses onto the face sheet; and

d) wherein the ordered network comprises a plurality of first microtruss elements defined by a plurality of first self-propagating polymer waveguides extending along a first direction, a plurality of second microtruss elements defined by a plurality of second self-propagating polymer waveguides extending along a second direction, and a plurality of third microtruss elements defined by a plurality of third self-propagating polymer waveguides extending along a third direction, wherein the first, second, and third microtruss elements interpenetrate each other at a plurality of nodes to form a continuous material.

18. The mirror structure of claim 17 further comprising a second face sheet opposite the first face sheet, with the three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses therebetween.

19. The mirror structure of claim 17, wherein the face sheet and microtruss members comprise at least one of monocrystalline diamond, polycrystalline diamond, or nanocrystalline diamond.

20. The mirror structure of claim 17, wherein the microtruss members comprise at least one of monocrystalline diamond, polycrystalline diamond, or nanocrystalline diamond.

21. The mirror structure of claim 17, wherein the three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses are formed from a template comprising a plurality of microtruss struts interpenetrating each other at a plurality of nodes to form a continuous material.

22. A mirror structure comprising:

a) a first face sheet having an exterior facing mirror surface and a side opposite the exterior facing mirror surface;

b) three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses abutting the side opposite the exterior facing mirror surface of the first face sheet such that there is a continuous coating material extending from the three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses onto the face sheet;

c) wherein the three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses form an ordered network comprising a plurality of continuous interpenetrating microtruss members, each forming a plurality of nodes with other microtruss members comprising from about 10% to about 100% of at least one of monocrystalline diamond, polycrystalline diamond, or nanocrystalline diamond; and

d) wherein the ordered network comprises a plurality of first microtruss elements defined by a plurality of first self-propagating polymer waveguides extending along a first direction, a plurality of second microtruss elements defined by a plurality of second self-propagating polymer waveguides extending along a second direction, and a plurality of third microtruss elements defined by a plurality of third self-propagating polymer waveguides extending along a third direction, wherein the first, second, and third microtruss elements interpenetrate each other at a plurality of nodes to form a continuous material.

23. The mirror structure of claim 22, wherein the truss members are hollow tubular microtruss members comprising continuous open volume inside the three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses.

24. The mirror structure of claim 22, wherein the truss members are hollow tubular microtruss members comprising a shell material partially filled with an inner material within the shell material, and wherein the shell material and the inner material are continuous throughout the three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses.

25. The mirror structure of claim 22, wherein the microtruss members are solid microtruss members comprising multilayer solid microtruss members comprised of layers of different materials.

26. The mirror structure of claim 22, wherein the truss members are solid tubular microtruss members comprising a shell material partially filled with an inner material within the shell material, and wherein the shell material and the inner material are continuous throughout the three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses.

27. The mirror structure of claim 22, wherein the three-dimensional ordered cellular microtrusses are formed from a template comprising a plurality of microtruss struts interpenetrating each other at a plurality of nodes to form a continuous material.