08 Feb 2011 REO, a leading manufacturer of high volume precision optical solutions, has introduced a new range of optics that offer high performance, multi-wavelength operation for military target designation and rangefinding applications. Specifically, these components deliver a unique combination of high reflectivity or transmission at multiple wavelength bands (e.g. 808 nm, 1064 nm and 1570 nm), while also maintaining excellent wavefront quality (<λ/10 @ 633 nm) in the reflected beam. These optics can also accommodate high reflection or high transmission properties in the 3 µm to 5 µm spectral band, enabling common aperture FLIR applications. Just as important, they provide high laser damage threshold (typically >40 J/cm2 for a 20 nsec pulse at 1064 nm) and exhibit exceptional environmental stability.
This performance benchmark is difficult to achieve because multi-wavelength coatings of this type are often physically thick. This makes it challenging to keep film absorption and defects below acceptable limits, and to control layer stress which may lead to wavefront issues. However, REO utilizes a range of fabrication and coating technologies, including advanced plasma source (APS) and ion beam sputtering (IBS) coating to enable the necessary level of control over coating structure, stoichiometry and stress.
These optics can be fabricated on a wide range of substrates, including fused silica, CaF2, ZnS, ZnSe, Si and sapphire, in sizes ranging from 0.5 inches to 12 inches. Plano, spherical and aspheric surfaces can all be produced, as can non-circular and non-rectangular geometries, including substrates with through holes.
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