Silver (Ag) Coated Metallic Broadband Mirrors
Silver (Ag) Mirrors are economical and universal VIS-IR mirrors best suitable for visual, low & medium energy applications. Protected and ultrafast optimized 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
Silver (Ag) Metallic Mirrors: function, production, protection and handling
What is Silver (Ag) coated mirror?
Silver (Ag) mirror is optical component coated with metallic silver coating (and usualy protective coating layer on top of it). These mirrors have quite broad reflection range which also depends on dielectric protective coating, but it is within visible and infrared wavelengths. Although Silver (Ag) mirrors have largest laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) among other Alien Photonics metallic mirrors (Gold and Aluminum), we are still recommending to limit their use to visual, low and medium energy applications (such as microscopes or low power lasers)
How Silver (Ag) Mirrors are manufactured?
Process is quite similar to broad band BBHR mirrors, and starts by preparing optical substrate (polishing and inspecting it). Using optical coating technologies, that substrate is coated with thin film Silver (Ag) metallic layer, forming the mirror. Alien photonics Silver (Ag) mirrors are then coated with either standard protective dielectric layer or special enhancing layer to optimize these mirrors for ultrashort pulses.
How to handle Silver (Ag) Mirrors?
Alien Photonics silver (Ag) mirrors are upgraded with protective coatings which protects the silver thin film from oxidation and physical damage. However, Alien Photonics still recommends to refrain from using excessive force when cleaning Ag mirrors.
Silver (Ag) Mirrors for lasers, telescopes, low power systems, microscopes and other optical devices
Silver (Ag) mirrors for laser systems
Silver (Ag) mirrors are essential optical component in some medical lasers for surgery and of course in industrial (engraving, cutting) lasers by providing high reflectivity in visible spectrum and precise beam control.
Silver (Ag) mirrors for space applications
Silver-coated metallic mirrors allow to capture high-contrast images thus improves the observation capabilities of space telescopes and other astronomy instruments.
Can Silver (Ag) mirrors be used in high power lasers?
Not recommended. Low laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) of Silver (Ag) mirrors limits the number of applications, making them more suitable for low and medium energy applications.
Silver (Ag) mirrors for microscopes
Silver (Ag) mirrors combined with lenses are very economical and are very popular components in microscopes and similar optical devices.
Characteristics of sandard Silver (Ag) 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) | >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 - Enhanced Silver (Ag) Metallic Mirrors: Protective or ultrafast optimized layer?
Protected Silver (Ag) Mirrors - prevents oxidation, protects from environment
Besides preventing the oxidation, this protective coating on top of thin film silver mirror serves as protective layer, reducing the environmental and physical impact for coating.
Ultrafast Silver (Ag) Mirrors for picosecond (ps) and femtosecond (fs) lasers
Similarly to Gold (Au) and Aluminum (Al) metallic mirrors, Alien Photonics Silver (Ag) mirrors are quite economical low Group Dealy Dispersion (GDD) mirrors, so Alien Photonics recommends these mirrors as less expensive option than dielectric replacement for low GDD mirrors.