Optical Windows, Substrates, Mirror blanks for UV-VIS-NIR wavelengths
Optical windows and substrates from various materials. Custom size, shape and quality options. AR coating available.
Estimated Shipping Date: November 29, 2024 - December 10, 2024
* - 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
- Materials
Optical Windows and Substrates: description, functions and production
What is Optical Window?
Optical windows are transparent, flat, parallel plates, made from transparent optical material. They are used as protective windows, substrates or mirror blanks. Applications often include sealing, separation (protection) of sensors, eyes, optical systems from environment or other light sources.
How Optical Windows (substrates) are made?
Optical window production starts from the design of it. Once material, dimensions, surface characteristics and other parameters are clear, the final drawing is drawn. Optical material is sliced, grided and polished as long as it takes to ensure that optical window is produced according to requirements. Finaly – optical metrology is conducted before stocking or sending these windows to customers. The main difference from Alien Photonics wedged windows is that these UV-VIS-NIR windows surfaces are (highly) parallel to each other.
Optical Window applications: from telescopes and cameras to lasers and medical devices
Optical windows for astronomical telescopes
Optical windows allow clear transmission of celestial light, ensuring distortion-free observation of stars planets and other objects.
Underwater camera windows
Optical windows provide a waterproof seal that maintains visibility under water, crucial for underwater photography and research.
Windows for environmental monitoring sensors
Alien Photonics optical windows protect sensors from atmospheric conditions while allowing accurate environmental data collection in various monitoring devices.
Windows for medical imaging devices
Optical windows enable non-invasive diagnostic imaging, such as in MRI or CT scanners, by protecting the device internals without affecting image quality.
High-Speed Camera windows
Alien Photonics windows withstand extreme conditions, ensuring clarity and precision in high-speed imaging applications.
Optical windows for scientific Instruments
Alien Photonics windows can be used in various scientific devices. For example, in spectroscopy, windows isolate samples yet allow precise light transmission for detailed analysis.
Protective windows for laser cutting machines (1064 nm):
Optical windows protect internal optics from sparks and debris and other contaminants, ensuring that 1064 nm laser beam precisely cuts materials.
532 nm protective windows for laser scanning devices
Windows protect scanning optics while transmitting the 532 nm green laser beam for accurate dimensional measurements.
Protective windows for pulsed laser systems
Designed to withstand high-energy pulses, these windows transmit ultrafast laser pulses (e.g., 800 nm from Ti:Sapphire lasers) for applications in physics and material science.
1470 nm protective laser surgery windows
In medical lasers, such as those used for tissue ablation (1470 nm), windows protect the surgical field while delivering therapeutic beams precisely.
Broad-band AR protective spectroscopy windows
Alien Photonics windows facilitate the entry of visible to near-IR light into spectroscopy equipment, allowing for detailed molecular and chemical analysis.
Protective windows for fiber laser modules
Alien Photonics windows protect the fiber end and enhance the beam quality of fiber lasers, especially in telecommunications wavelengths like 1550 nm, ensuring optimal performance and reliability.
Specifications and Characteristics of typical UV-VIS-NIR Optical Windows (Substrates)
Typical items (unless otherwise specified in offer) are manufactured with bellow specifications. However, due to constant improvements, all parameters are subject to change. Please, treat contents of this table as guidelines, these characteristics can be changed based on your needs. Just let us know !
| Characteristics | Typical Value |
|---|---|
| Substrate Characteristics | Value |
| Substrate material | UVFS, N-BK7, etc. |
| Diameter tolerance | +0.0 / -0.15 mm |
| Thickness tolerance | ±0.1 mm |
| Protective chamfers (bevels) | 0.25 mm x 45° |
| Flatness | λ/10 @ 632.8 nm (per C.A.) |
| Surface quality | 10-5 S-D (acc. to MIL-PRF-13830B) |
| Clear Aperture (C.A.) | >85% (per C.A.) |
| Certificates | Availability |
| Certificate of Conformance (COC) | Yes. Available upon request. |
| RoHS | Yes. Available upon request. |
| Conflict minerals | Yes. Available upon request. |
Optical windows (substrates) types: protective (safety windows), AR coated windows, mirror and beamsplitter blanks (uncoated substrates) or base for waveplates?
Protective (safety) windows
Protective (safety) optical windows are used to protect against environmental hazards or to protect expensive optical equipment (e.g. lasers, sensors) from other light sources.
Anti-reflective (AR) coated windows
Anti-reflective (AR) coated windows are used to eliminate reflections from uncoated window surface, reducing ghost images, glare and minimizing light loss.
Mirror blanks | substrates for mirrors | uncoated mirror substrates
Mirror blanks (substrates for mirrors) are bare (not coated) optical components. Usually, with very high surface quality, low surface flatness and otherwise good characteristics. Once optical thin-film coating is formed on them, these substrates can become laser line (HR) mirrors, double band (DBHR) mirrors, broad band (DBHR) mirrors.
Substrates for beamsplitters
Substrates for beamsplitters, similarly to mirror blanks, are optical glass components, with very good surface characteristics (for beamsplitters usually, good transmitted wavefront distortion TWFD is also required). After applying optical coating, these substrates are transformed into output couplers (partial reflectors), dichroic mirrors (wavelength separators), non-polarizing plates, thin film polarizers (e.g. Brewsters TFP, or custom angle TFP).
Witness samples
Witness samples are small, standard size optical window, that is coated alongside other optics. They are used to monitor and verify the performance (characteristics) of optical coating. Witness samples are especially useful when coating complex shapes (e.g. aspherical lenses), very large or very small elements, due to the fact that it is usually very difficult to measure them with standard spectrophotometers.
Vacuum viewport optical windows
Vacuum viewport optical windows are crucial part of any vacuum system, allowing visual observation into the vacuum chamber while keeping the vacuum integrity.
Substrates for waveplates
Substrates (usually N-BK7 or UVFS) are used as a base for true zero order waveplates (thin waveplate bonded on top of thicker substrate) to preserve characteristics and make waveplate more suitable for handling.
Alien Photonics is always improving. At this moment the list of available ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), near-infrared (NIR) materials for windows is being updated. Please, specify desired material in request.