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Product Announcement

Germanium lenses

13 Jan 2025

Germanium lenses are durable, corrosion-resistant optical lenses ideal for harsh environments, thermal imaging systems, and precision instruments. With a high refractive index and low dispersion, they minimize chromatic aberration and excel in infrared applications, including FLIR and FTIR systems. 

Shanghai Optics offers a wide range of germanium lenses, including spherical, aspheric, and custom options, with anti-reflective coatings that enhance transmission up to 95%. These lenses provide optimal transmission (over 45%) in the 2-12 μm range, making them perfect for mid-infrared light. 

Germanium's ruggedness comes from its Knoop hardness of 780, though its high density (5.33 g/cm³) requires consideration for weight-sensitive designs. However, germanium lenses are temperature-sensitive due to thermal runaway, limiting their use to below 100°C. With versatile configurations and specialized coatings, germanium lenses are a robust choice for demanding optical systems.

Germanium Optics Factory Standards

  • Substrate Material: Ge (Germanium)
  • Diameter:  5mm-350mm
  • Shape: Spherical Plano-Concave, P-Convex, Concave-Convex or Aspheric
  • Focal length: +/-1%
  • Surface Quality: 20-10 (after coating)
  • Surface figure: l/4 @ 633nm
  • Clear Aperture: >85% of central dimension
  • Antireflection Coating: @ 3-12 um

Contact us for manufacturing limit or custom specifications.

CONTACT DETAILS
Shanghai Optics Inc
425 Main St Suite 2E,
Metuchen
NJ
08840
United States
Tel: 732-692-8175
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