Fine diamond turning of KDP crystals

Frequency doubling optical components for the Nova laser system are made from single-crystal potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP). While developing a manufacturing process for these components, we found that single-point diamond turning could be used to directly produce finished parts with no need for additional surface polishing. A surface roughness of better than 8-A rms and 36-A P–V was measured on a test sample generated with certain machine and tool parameters. Further improvement in surface finish may be possible by employing refined diamond turning procedures and equipment.