Impedance matched to vacuum, invisible edge, diffraction suppressed mirror

US9012008B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventors

• John Hagopian · Harwood, US
• Patrick Roman · Kendall, US
• Sharham Shiri · Reisterstown, US
• Edward J. Wollack · Glenn Dale, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 20, 2013
• Grant date: Apr 21, 2015
• Expiry date: May 19, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T428/24273
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Diffraction suppressed mirrors having an invisible edge are disclosed for incident light at both targeted wavelengths and broadband incident light. The mirrors have a first having at least one discontiguous portion having a plurality of nanostructured apertures. The discontiguous mirror portion impedance matches a relatively high impedance portion of the mirror to a relatively low impedance portion of the mirror, thereby reducing the diffraction edge effect otherwise present in a conventional mirror.