Optical Materials

BK7

BK7 is a borosilicate crown optical glass with high homogeneity and low bubble and inclusion content. Its good physical and chemical properties make it widely used in visible and NIR windows, lenses and prisms. lTransmission range: 330 nm ~ 2100 nm

lThermal Expansion Coefficient: 7.5 x10-6/K

lDensity: 2.51 g/cm3

Fused Silica

Fused silica is formed by chemical combination of silicon and oxygen. Advantages of fused silica material include good UV and IR transmission, low coefficient of thermal expansion, providing stability and resistance to thermal shock over large temperature excursions, wider thermal operating range and high laser damage threshold. Used for windows, lenses, prisms and mirror substrates.

lTransmission Range: 185 nm ~ 2500 nm

lThermal Expansion Coefficient: 0.54x10-6/k

l Density: 2.20 g/cm3

Sapphire

Sapphire is a single crystal aluminum oxide or Al2O3 and is one of the hardest materials, which have good transmission characteristics over the visible, and near IR spectrum. Sapphire exhibits high mechanical strength, chemical resistance and thermal stability. It is often used in environment where scratch resistance is importance.

lTransmission range: 180 nm ~ 4500 nm

lThermal expansion coefficient: 8.4 x 10-6/k

lDensity: 3.98 g/cm3

CaF2

CaF2 is a crystal which has good transmission from 170 nm to 7800m. It is slightly soluble in water and is susceptible to thermal shock. Common CaF2 uses include IR components such as windows, lenses and prisms.

lTransmission range: 170 nm ~ 7800 nm

lThermal expansion coefficient: 18.85 x 10-6/k

lDensity: 3.18 g/cm3

Crystal Quartz

Crystal quartz is a positive uniaxial birefringent single crystal. CASIX抯 crystal quartz is selected to minimize inclusions and refractive index variation. Crystal quartz is most commonly used for high damage threshold waveplates. l Transmission range: 200 nm ~ 2300 nm

l Thermal expansion coefficient: 7.07 x 10-6/k

l Density: 2.65 g/cm3

YVO4Crystal

YVO4 (yttrium orthovanadate) is a positive uniaxial crystal grown by Czochralski method. It has good mechanical and physical properties and is ideal as optical polarzing components because of its wide transparency range in IR and large birefringence. It is an excellent crystal in many applications including fiber optic isolators, circulators, beam displacers and Glan polarizers. lTransmission range: 400 nm ~ 5000 nm

lWalk off angle @ 45o: 5.72o (1310nm), 5.69o (1550nm)

lDensity: 4.22 g/cm3

a-BBO Crystal

a-BBO (high temperature Barium Borate) is a negative uniaxial crystal with successfully growing into large size under both of Czochralski and Top seeded flux methods by CASIX. It has large birefingence, unique UV transparency, high optical homogeneity, good mechanical properties and high damage threshold. It is excellent material for UV polarizing components. lTransmission range: 190 nm ~ 3500 nm

lWalk off angle @ 45o: 5.3o (351nm), 5.0o (633nm)

lDensity: 3.85 g/cm3

Calcite (CaCO3)

Calcite is a negative uniaxial crystal that has high birefringence, wide spectral transmission and availability in reasonably-sized rhombs. Although it is a soft crystal and is easily scratched, it is an ideal material used as visiable and IR polarizers, such as Glan Taylor, Glan Thompson and Glan laser.
lTransmission range: 210 nm ~ 2300 nm

lWalk off angle @ 45o: 6.2o (633nm)

lDensity: 2.7 g/cm3