Knight Optical’s Ball Lenses and Half Ball Lenses for Fibre Lasers

24 Jan 2022

Available in a wide range of high-specification substrates – such as Sapphire, Ruby, Quartz and BK7 (or equivalent) – our Ball and Half Ball Lenses are available from stock for fibre laser-based projects demanding quick turnaround times or as custom-made components to meet the exact needs of your application’s requirements.

As the name suggests, Ball Lenses are entirely spherical in formation and primarily manufactured from High Refractive Index Glass; such as Sapphire and LASFN-9 Glass. Due to their ability to focus and couple light in and out of fibres, Ball Lenses are most commonly used for fibre laser applications. What’s more, as one of the hardest materials, Sapphire is highly resistant to damage.

Typically used in pairs with one lens acting as a collimator and a second used to focus light back into the coupled fibre, Ball Lenses have a short back focal length. This critical feature allows for precision coupling, where space is limited.

Knight Optical’s Ball Lenses are manufactured from a single substrate and; therefore, depending on the geometry of the input source, can focus or collimate light. Furthermore, our Half Ball Lenses can also be used as an interchange with a full Ball Lens – for more compact designs.

Typical specs:

Material: BK7 (or equivalent), Sapphire, Quartz, Ruby

Diameter tolerance: +/-2.5µm

Figure (sphericity): 1λ

Focal length tolerance: ± 0.2% (<10mm)

± 2.0% (10-1000mm)

± 5.0% (>1000mm)

Wavelength range: 0.17-5.5µm

Surface quality: <40-20 Scratch/Dig

Quality you can rely on

Quality is at the core of 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 Ball and Half Ball 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