A SBIR Phase II contract was awarded to Advalue Photonics in June, 2018 for $748,459.0 USD from the U.S. Department of Defense and United States Air Force.
Freeform optics is a recent, emerging and developing field to meet the increasing demands created by the high performance and ultra-compact optical imaging systems that underpin consumer and medical applications, such as mobile phones, head mounted displays, and ultrathin endoscopes. Additive manufacturing will be an ideal method to prototype freeform optics if surface quality specifications can be realized. In this proposal, we will develop an effective and viable additive manufacturing scheme for producing freeform optical elements used in IR imaging systems with noticeably reduced component weight and volume.