Knight Optical’s Lithium Fluoride (LiF) Lenses for UV Applications

14 Apr 2021

As well as being an excellent vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) transmitter, Knight Optical’s Lithium Fluoride (LiF) Lenses are also commonly specified for applications working in the visible and infrared (IR) spectrums (between 0.15-6µm).

One of the more popular applications that our LiF Lenses are employed for is ultraviolet (UV) laser applications – which are proving popular over infrared (IR) and visible-based alternatives due to their non-heat characteristics around target areas. This allows the laser to cut materials by breaking atomic bonds, rather than melting materials. Other LiF applications include UV transmission Windows and analysis crystals in X-Ray monochromators, as well as a variety of Lenses and Prisms for use in VUV, ultraviolet (UV), visible and IR spectrums. Windows and Prisms are also used in spectrographs for various wavelength regions – especially in the VUV.

Due to the large bandgap for Lithium Fluoride, the substrate’s crystals are more transmissive to short wavelength UV radiation than any other material.

Typical specs:

Material: Lithium Fluoride (LiF)

Shape: Spherical lenses, cylindrical lenses

Dimensional tolerances: +/- 0.1mm

Parallelism: < 3 arcminutes

Surface quality:

< 0.5 λ PV@ 633nm

Coating: Antireflective (AR) coatings for application bandwidth (if required)

First-Class Quality

Quality is the driving force behind Knight Optical, and to ensure you profit from high-precision optics, we take the utmost care to ensure every component accurately meets your specifications. Offering unparalleled service, Knight Optical undertakes a full inspection of your optics from our ISO 9001:2015-certified, state-of-the-art Metrology Laboratory, followed by a meticulous visual examination by our dedicated QA department.

To discover how we can enhance your supply chain experience and to learn more about our stock and custom-made LiF Lenses, contact a member of our technical sales team today.

UK, Europe, Asia & RoW: E-mail info@knightoptical.co.uk

Tel +44 (0)1622 859444

USA & Canada: E-mail usasales@knightoptical.com

Tel +001 401-583-7846

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