Soutenance de thèse de Maëlys GAUTHE

Soutenance de thèse de Maëlys GAUTHE, doctorante dans le groupe Photonique industrielle du Laboratoire Charles Fabry, le mardi 18 novembre 2025 à 14h00 dans l'Auditorium de l'Institut d'Optique Graduate School à Palaiseau, sur le thème : "Additive manufacturing of silicon carbide mirrors".

Résumé : "This thesis explores the potential of fused filament fabrication (FFF) additive manufacturing for the production of silicon carbide (SiC) mirrors. This technology opens up new design possibilities that are particularly well suited to the manufacture of lightweight and complex structures for space applications. Although already used for oxide ceramics (alumina, zirconia), the application of FFF to non-oxide ceramics such as SiC remains largely unexplored.

In this context, a comprehensive study of the parameters was conducted to optimize fabrication conditions. The resulting materials were characterized in terms of microstructure, mechanical and thermal properties, and the polishing possibilities were explored. Deformations specific to FFF were identified and analyzed across different geometries. Finally, a representative convex mirror prototype was fabricated and polished to achieve low surface roughness."