Utilization of Subtractive Manufacturing Techniques to Increase Fidelity of Target Fabrication for Laser-driven Physics Experiments

The Center for High-Energy-Density Astrophysics Research (CHEDAR) maintains in-house target fabrication to support physics experiments at a variety of high-energy laser facilities. MiTRF has developed many fabrication processes to produce high-quality experimental targets. A key part of this work is the manufacturing of two-dimensional target components with tight tolerances. However, fabrication processes, particularly those using UV-laser cutting, introduce variations when compared to nominal designs. Here, we characterize the variations in parts cut with a MD-U1000 Keyence Laser Marker, identify the primary limitations in the cutting process, and propose strategies to reduce error and improve alignment between design and execution.