Aluminum (Al) Coated Metallic Broadband Mirrors
Aluminum (Al) Mirrors are cost-effective universal broadband metallic mirrors best suitable for ultraviolet, visual and infrared applications. Protected and enhanced options available.
Estimated Shipping Date: December 24, 2024 - January 7, 2025
* - Shopping cart pricing is based on the most recent pricing and it is NOT ORDERING, but requesting an official quotation which should typically reach You within 1-2 business days.
- Description
- Applications
- Characteristics
- Types
Aluminum (Al) Metallic Mirrors: function, production and handling
Aluminum (Al) mirror is optical component coated with metallic aluminum coating and protective (or enhancing) dielectric coating on top of it. Depending on enhancement, these mirrors can have broad reflection range within ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS) and infrared (IR) wavelengths. Aluminum (Al) mirrors have lowest laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) among other Alien Photonics BBHR mirrors (dielectric, Gold and Silver), so we are recommending to stick to visual, low and medium energy applications.
How Aluminum (Al) Mirrors are made?
Process is quite similar to [broad band dielectric BBHR mirrors](/products/dielectric-broadband-bbhr-mirrors and other metallic mirrors, starts by polishing and inspecting the mirror’s substrate. After the inspection, it is coated with optical coating with final step - protective layer. Coating can either be standard or enhancing specific wavelength range. Alien Photonics aluminum (Al) mirrors can be optimized for UV or IR range.
How to handle and clean Aluminum (Al) Mirrors?
Alien Photonics suggest to avoid hard cleaning instruments (such as cloths, cotton-tipped swabs and similar) and to refrain from using excessive force during the cleaning. We recommend to use pressurized dry air to clean aluminum mirrors.
Aluminum (Al) mirrors for telescopes, research, microscopes and other devices
Aluminum mirrors, while very economical, but very valuable component in various scientific research, laser-based (especially low energy laser and ultrafast laser) applications and magnification devices (such as microscopes and telescopes).
Telescope mirrors made from Aluminum (Al) coated optics
Aluminum (Al) mirrors for telescopes and binoculars provides high degree of reflection over across visible (VIS) wavelengths, which is necessary for eye-based observation.
Scientific research using Aluminum (Al) Mirrors
Aluminum (Al) mirrors provide uniform reflection across very broad spectrum allowing precise calibration of experimental setups. The good price-quality ratio also ensures that research is within the framework of the budget.
Aluminum (Al) mirrors for ultrafast (femtosecond, picosecond) lasers
By reflecting pulses with minimal group delay dispersion (GDD) aluminum (Al) mirror becomes valuable and very economical optical component in micromachining and medical lasers, where precise pulse duration and timing is required.
Aluminum (Al) microscope mirrors
In wide variety of microscope types, aluminum (Al) mirror is important optical component.
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General microscopes employ aluminum (Al) mirror for efficient light reflection, in confocal microscopy these metallic mirrors can be used to direct light through a pinhole of the specimen.
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Insurgical microscopes aluminum (Al) mirrors enhance visibility, and thus final precision in medical procedures.
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Even in scanning electron microscopy (SEM), although not directly, aluminum (Al) mirrors can be used to reflect light in secondary systems (optical positioners, cameras, etc.).
Characteristics of standard Aluminum (Al) Mirrors
| Characteristics | Typical Value |
|---|---|
| Substrate Characteristics | Value |
| Substrate material | UVFS |
| Diameter tolerance | +0.0 / -0.15 mm |
| Thickness tolerance | ±0.1 mm |
| Protective chamfers (bevels) | 0.25 mm x 45° |
| Flatness | λ/8 @ 632.8 nm (per C.A.) |
| Surface quality | 20-10 S-D (acc. to MIL-PRF-13830B) |
| Coating Characteristics | Value |
| Clear Aperture (C.A.) | >85% (per C.A.) |
| Group Delay Dispersion (GDD) | Optimized/Not optimized* |
| Laser Induced Damage Threshold (LIDT) | >0.2 J/cm² @ 1064 nm, 10 ns, 10 Hz |
| Certificates | Availability |
| Certificate of Conformance (COC) | Yes. Available upon request. |
| RoHS | Yes. Available upon request. |
| Conflict minerals | Yes. Available upon request. |
*- can depend on protective dielectric coating
Improved (Al) Metallic Mirrors: protected or enhanced ?
Protected Aluminum (Al) Mirrors
Al + protection (protected aluminum coating) modification includes special protection layer (dielectric thin film) on top of aluminum coating. Purpoise of this layer is to prevent contact with environment and increase resistance to scratching.
Enhanced Aluminum (Al) Mirrors
Enhanced-Al (aluminum enhanced for specific region) - this type of aluminum coating is supplemented by multilayer dielectric coatings, optimizing Al mirrors for specific wavelength region. These mirrors also act as protective coatings (P-coatings, P-coat).