• Large Telescopes and Mirrors

• Segmented Mirrors for RICH Detectors

• Small Telescopes and Mirrors for Ground and Space

Leveraging the unique capabilities of carbon fiber composites, brings about unique solutions that offer extremely lightweight mirrors and structures. We have extensive experience in designing dimensionally stable optics and structures for complex systems, supporting nuclear physics and government applications.

Using carbon fiber composites allows us to use an inherently structural material to produce an optical mirror, which exhibits low CTE, high stiffness and low mass and is durable under most environmental conditions.

Composite materials offer technical challenges to optical coaters. For this reason, we have dedicated 30+ years to applying optical reflective coatings composite mirrors. We have a thorough understanding of which polymer materials work for replication and how their outgassing affects coating adhesion, reflectance and coating durability. CMA can provide optical coatings for mirrors up to 1.8m diameter.

Our central activity over the last 30+ years is to develop robust processes of replication, yielding lightweight, optical-quality mirrors. Replication empowers us to lower the barriers to mass production of mirrors by lowering dollar costs and time costs of producing telescope mirrors. This is key, going forward, to enabling an acceleration of mass-produced mirrors/telescopes for the ever demanding need for more “eyes on the sky”.