At the Wavefront
The R&D cooperation projects funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) are going ahead as scheduled. We asked some of the development partners involved about the state of affairs.
For a layperson, it is not easy to comprehend the two extremely complex R&D cooperation projects. But you don’t need the designated analytical mind of an expert to understand the enthusiasm and the keen commitment of the partners involved. “The projects are progressing very well,” rejoices André Noack of NOTEI GmbH who initiated the projects and has supervised them from the beginning. “It already became apparent halfway through the defined funding period that the achieved progress gives rise to the hope for terrific results.”
A new process technology for high-precision wavefront metrology
The partners involved confirm this positive progression. There is, for example, DIOPTIC GmbH. The company is deeply involved in the project which aims at a new process technology for high-precision wavefront metrology. The optics specialist from Weinheim developed a patented functional principle – which makes it possible to measure the topography respectively the wavefront quality of high-performance laser mirrors or any other optics with a so-called WAVOS sensor (DIOPTIC-Hartmann sensor). “We have gained a lot of new knowledge and found possible ways for its implementation which will not only push the project forward but also advance our company,” reports Jean-Michel Asfour, managing director of DIOPTIC.
DIOPTIC cooperates closely with the University of Applied Sciences for Central Hessen (THM) and in particular with the Optics Center Wetzlar. Philipp Tonndorf, project manager at DIOPTIC, regularly coordinates with Ebunoluwa Odofin of the THM on the project. They are working on theoretical models which will make it possible to optimize the effectiveness of the sensors. This includes but is not limited to the influence of the dimensional accuracy of the apertures, the wavefront quality of the exterior illumination or the experimental analysis of the system’s temperature dependency. “Up to now, our observations have shown that a greater sensitivity may be achieved by changing the form of the object,” explains Ebunoluwa Odofin.
The goal is to establish the new process technology of wavefront metrology as an alternative method to interferometry. Currently, respective comparative measurements are carried out. What may become of it perspectively in application? “The Lidar method, that is the time-resolved reflection of light waves, qualifies as one of the key technologies for autonomous driving. And with our innovative wavefront metrology, we might be able to make a valuable contribution towards that,” points out Jean-Michel Asfour.
A high-resolution X-ray camera for inline monitoring
The second R&D cooperation project is no less ambitious and also on a good course. It focuses on the development of an ultrafast high-resolution X-ray camera (X-Ray Cam System) for the so-called inline monitoring of, for instance, electronic components or even foodstuff. Since such a camera consists of various system components which have to interact in an optimal manner, the development partners are collaborating closely to that effect. At the Optics Center Wetzlar, project engineer Robert Knobloch is working on the development of the optical system. It has to comprise both the Scintillator (10 cm x 10 cm) as a whole and a section with a resolution of 5 µm. The development for that includes the corresponding adaptive optics and electronics as well as a concept for minimizing the radiation exposure. “Right now, we are optimizing the system with regard to image quality and tolerances,” explains Robert Knobloch.
Simultaneously, Brückmann GmbH in Lahnau develops various control boards for the X-Ray Cam System. The control board for the sensor is dimensioned for the camera to generate up to 1,000 frames per second (fps). In order to do so, it must have an adequate memory capacity available - because at such enormous speeds, the data volume generated within 8 seconds may reach up to 32 gigabytes. The configuration of the integrated circuitry (FPGA) is particularly challenging, explains Tim Stroh, commercial manager of Brückmann Elektronik: “In this, we collaborate with the THM in iterative steps to achieve the targeted result as part of the system integration.”
In the end, all systems in the cooperation project must work together optimally. This also applies to the scintillator and the X-ray source which are contributed by the Czech partner RIGAKU Corp. The ELI-Beamlines Institute will supply the test bench for the X-Ray Cam System as soon as the prototype of the X-ray resistant optics that goes with the camera has been completed. “If everything continues to go as planned, this will be the case in the first quarter of 2021,” says Tim Stroh.
Additional Information:
www.dioptic.de
www.brueckmann-gmbh.de
www.thm.de
www.eli-beams.eu
www.notei.de