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Optics and Detector

Overall Description:

  • General purpose optical & optical detector research, test, and development lab.
  • Configured to accommodate a variety of optical test setups & detector development systems, including flight instruments.
  • Interior floor dimensions: 22′ x 22′.

Overall Lab View

Lab Fixed (Facility) Resources:

  • 120 VAC /1Ø electrical service.
  • 220 VAC /1Ø electrical service.
  • 220VAC / 3Ø electrical service.
  • Isolated electrical wall-mounted ground bars (low-noise signal ground).
  • Facility chilled water lines, for cooling high heat-load items such as compressors and plasma/hollow cathode lamps. Includes flow control regulators. Also equipped with low & no-flow alarms, with both automatic and wall-mounted manual emergency shutoff valves.
  • Gaseous nitrogen filter/valves & regulators, 0-60 psi.
  • Liquid nitrogen access valve in NE corner floor of lab.
  • Whole-lab humidifier.
  • Whole-lab special HEPA air filtration system.
  • Whole-lab air deionizers, for ESD control. Ceiling mounted, switchable.
  • Lab overhead lighting options: Incandescent, fluorescent, and dark-room (red) lighting available.   Incandescent & dark-room lighting on adjustable dimmer circuits.
  • Wet bench, for processing & cleaning. Includes a DI water faucet.
  • Stainless steel, 6” diameter closed gas exhaust plenum to roof vent.
  • “Do-Not-Enter” warning light located in hallway outside lab, for sensitive lab operations.
  • Floor-mounted security safe/vault, for storage of valuable items/materials.
  • Lab built with “no-silicone” rule invoked, to minimize thin-film contamination of sensitive optics.
  • ESD flooring.

Other Lab Resources:

  • 6’ Laminar flow bench, with stainless steel work surface. Horizontal HEPA-filtered flow.
  • 6’ Dust hood/bench, with stainless steel work surface. Exhaust motor located on roof, for lower room noise.
  • 8’ x 5’ Optical table, with vibration isolation support system. Nitrogen-gas float.  ¼”-20 x 1” work surface.
  • 6’ and 8’ general-purpose ESD workbenches.
  • Equipped for cryogenic detector and instrument tests and operations.

Optical Table

Dust Hood & Wet Bench

Laminar Flow Bench

Instrument located in Optics Lab
Southwest Ultraviolet Reflectivity Chamber or
“SwURC” (a.k.a. “LURE”)

Chamber is used to illuminate various materials and samples with ultraviolet light, then measure the percent reflectivity of sample as a function of angle of reflection.

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Contact Information

Greg Winters

Pete Roming

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