Innovative multilayer coatings for space solar physics: performances and stability over time

Different solar mission are in progress and others are foreseen in the next future to study the structure and the dynamics of the Sun and its interaction with the Earth. Different instruments devoted to solar physics are required to have high reflecting MultiLayers (MLs) coatings. For example, the Multi Element Telescope for Imaging and Spectroscopy (METIS) coronograph will fly on board of SOLar Orbiter (SOLO) mission to perform simultaneous observation at 30.4 nm (He - II Lyman - α line), 121.6 nm (H - I Lyman - α line) and in the visible range, therefore its optics will require high performances in a wide spectral region. It should be desirable to reach higher reflectivity as well as long term stability and lifetime, then different candidate coatings will be considered. The Sounding - Rocket Coronographic Experiment (SCORE) is a prototype of METIS equipped with Mg/SiC optics and it has flown on board of a NASA sounding rocket. The Mg/SiC multilayers offer good performances in terms of reflectivity, but the long term stability and the lifetime have been preliminary investigated and there are open problems to be further studied. Besides standard Mo/Si multilayer, a possible alternative is represented by new multilayer structures based on well known Mo/Si stack in which the performances have been improved by superimposing innovative capping layers. Another alternative is represented by a recently developed multilayer based on an Ir/Si material couple. In this paper we review and compare the performances of such multilayer in all the spectral ranges of interest for SOLO.